Without Masks
by Badger the Gnome
Summary: Sequel to "Triangle." There is much of Rosaline and Madison's love, and life together, that we missed... Part of the Lover100 fanfic challenge.
1. Day

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

* * *

Day

A year had passed since Day Jackson's murder. His sister, Rosaline, sat on the floor of the studio apartment she and her girlfriend Madison were renting while they were in New York City. Madison sat across from her, staring down at the sun-engraved white candle on the floor between them.

It was sunset, the same time they had held both of his funeral services. Rosie shifted her weight on the green cushion beneath her. She had gained back most of her natural shape as she became happier and returned to eating normal meals. She was finally recovering – not just from her brother's death, but from everything her peers' fear had done to her since she came out as both a lesbian and a mutant. Still, she missed him. She would always miss him, no matter how happy she felt.

"You know, if Day were here, he'd definitely tell us we're bringing him down by sitting alone in the dark with a candle to honor his memory."

"_Then let's do something more,"_ Madison suggested, reaching a scarred hand to touch her love's knee. She too had changed; the blue had grown out of her hair, and she wore it shorter now in its natural brown, matching her eyes. That and the difference in the clothes she chose to wear displayed a confidence she had never felt before. Her skin may have been a map of scars, but it was a map of what she had survived, not anything she should be ashamed of. "_Tell me a story about him, something I don't know yet."_

"Okay," Rosie said, thinking. Finally she smiled. "Well, I don't think I ever told you about how _his_ powers manifested, did I?"

Madison shook her head.

"Well, when he was fourteen, he had this girlfriend. She was his first, and he was sooooo happy. They went everywhere together, and did everything together, and talked about everything. I was actually really jealous…anyway, about two weeks into this relationship, her grandmother passed away."

"_What was her name?"_

"The grandmother?"

"_No honey, the girl."_

"Oh, um, I think it was Diantha. I always liked it cause it sounds like the name of a flower."

"_It does, kinda."_

"Well, when her grandmother passed, Diantha was crushed. They were very close. And Day cared about her so much that he started feeling her pain and her loss. He didn't understand it, but he wanted to show her how much he cared, so he told her about it."

She quirked and eyebrow. _"He fell in love deeply enough to awaken his mutation in only two weeks?"_

Rosaline laughed, wiping unshed tears from her eyes. "Yes, well, Day was always quick to love. I'm pretty sure he loved Wanda, though he never said the words." She sighed. "As for Diantha, when he told her about his power, she freaked out and told him never to speak to her again. And she never even looked at him from that day on. He was really hurt by it, but on the plus side, he started focusing on learning to control his powers after that, so he would never freak anyone out like that again. That's why he was so good at it."

Madison nodded, scooting over until she was right next to the bigger girl. She wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close, and Rosaline allowed herself to cry.

"It isn't fair," she whispered. "He had so much life in him. Why didn't he get to live?"

The scarred mutant thought for a moment, then answered quietly, _"I don't think any of us will be able to answer that in this life, my Rosie. I'm sure that Goddess you're teaching me about had her reasons for taking him. He's probably watching over you right now, protecting you in a way he couldn't while he was alive."_

Rosaline smiled sadly at Madison, then reached forward and took the candle in her hands, silently asking the fire spirits for forgiveness as she blew it out.


	2. First Meeting

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

* * *

First Meeting

It was the first day after they had gotten back to Salem, Massachusetts, carrying Day's ashes from the Institute in Bayville to his final resting place there. The second ceremony was planned for two days from then, so all the Jackson family and their guest had to do was wait. It was almost dinnertime, so Rosaline and her mother had wandered into town to pick up food. This left Madison alone with the man who fathered and raised the love of her life.

She gulped. It was not their first meeting, but they had never been alone together before this, so it might as well have been. _"And I thought the car ride here was uncomfortable."_

They sat on the couch, one of them at either end, staring blankly at the television screen before them. Mr. Jackson had chosen a random game of basketball, though he didn't seem that engrossed. She had thought maybe he'd assumed she'd like it since she looked more "like a dyke," but retrospectively, Rosaline broke most of the lesbian stereotypes and was Out to him, so she couldn't be sure.

As the game switched to commercial, he suddenly said, "So, you're Rosie's…girlfriend." He did not turn to look at her as he spoke, and it wasn't a question.

"_Um, yes,"_ she replied, caught off guard.

"Why do you speak like that?"

She decided to be honest with him, but kept her words guarded. She would not let any 'father figure' bully her around. Not anymore. _"My vocal cords were ripped out by my own father when I was very, very young. He was responsible for all the scars on my body, actually. I wasn't able to speak until I came to Bayville. The…manager of the house I lived in had his telepathic friend create this kind of speech for me since I don't really have a voice."_

"Oh," he eloquently replied, trying not to look over at the scars she had mentioned. "Are _you_ a telepath?"

"_In a sense. I can control the minds of others, and sometimes I get visions of the future."_

"Hmm. And you can project thoughts into other people's minds?"

"…_Yes. That is how my "voice" works."_

He nodded, then finally turned his head to look at her, forcing an awkward smile. "Can you ask Rosie and Minna to hurry up, then? We don't have cell phones, and I'm getting hungry."

She stared at him, shocked, then nodded and forced a smile of her own. _"My voice's range is pretty far, so that shouldn't be a problem."_ She focused on her girlfriend, then, and felt her smile turn genuine. Unexpectedly, things might turn out all right after all.


	3. Forgiveness

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

_Extra warning_ – I blatantly implied in _Triangle_ that Rosaline is a Wiccan. Wicca is a neo-Pagan religion that is inspired by the faiths of old, blending old Pagan traditions with new ones. It is NOT devil worship, or connected to Satan in any way, as he is a Christian creation. However, if for some bizarre reason reading about Wicca is going to bother you, feel free to skip this chapter. If not, please proceed with an open mind and heart. Hopefully someday I won't have to write a warning for these kinds of things.

* * *

Forgiveness

"I think that's everything," Rosaline said, looking over the assemblage of tools and ingredients for the evening's rite. That day was Mabon, more commonly known as the Autumn Equinox; the second harvest festival of her Pagan faith. She and Madison were going to celebrate the holiday together in ritual. They had done some simple spellwork together before this, as she had taught Madison more and more about Wicca, and her wonderful partner had taken to it immediately. She had actually self-initiated less than a month ago, so this would be her first holiday as an "official" witch.

_"Looks like,"_ Madison replied, checking the list they had made. _"Did you tell Adryen we'd be busy, and not to call us or anything?"_

She nodded. "Yeah, and he said he already planned to 'take a walk in the park' tonight."

_"So he's trolling for boys?"_

"Yup."

_"Good, that should keep him plenty distracted."_ She looked over the list for the fifth time. They had written the ritual together, and in addition to the celebration of the sacred day, a part of it would address "unfinished business" from the previous year that each of them felt needed to be resolved before the year began anew at Samhain. They would light a black candle for each item, then a white one to symbolize the positive resolution. Neither of them had told the other what things they had chosen, but they each picked three, making sure to have the same number each to keep with the idea of balance that the holiday also symbolized.

Together they assembled an altar on the floor, facing it east, and prepared themselves for the sacred rite. Rosaline changed into different clothes, complete with her ritual belt, and Madison put on the armband she had chosen in her initiation as her magickal jewelry. They washed their hands in holy water and anointed each other's foreheads, right over the third eye, with special oil. Then they cast the circle, walking as one in deosil direction, or clockwise. Madison invoked Air and Fire, then Rosaline invoked Water and Earth. Instead of a god/goddess pair, they called upon only Persephone, goddess of the spring, and in some beliefs, of a balance between light and dark, known and unknown. They sat down across from one another, Rosaline near the piece of petrified wood that stood for the north quarter, Madison near the piece of pumice that stood for the south. They took turns speaking of the holiday, what it meant in general and to each of them. Then began the candle dedication.

Rosaline took a black candle in her left hand, then dipped her right pointer finger in the small bowl of another oil they had prepared for this anointing. She rubbed the oil onto it from each end to the middle, turning the small was cylinder widdershins, or counterclockwise. "I resolve to apologize for cursing in front of Mrs. Applegate and her little daughter Mary. It is not her fault I am awkward about apologizing to her, even though she hates us for being gay." Madison stifled a laugh, watching as her girlfriend put the candle in the sand-filled dish at the center of the altar. She then picked up a white candle, rubbing oil onto it from the center outward in a deosil motion. She pictured Mrs. Applegate forgiving her, maybe even being nice to her, then placed it next to the black one in the dish.

It was now Madison's turn, so she chose a black candle, copying Rosaline's motions in preparing it. _"I resolve to actually do a drag number with Adryen one of these days…since I promised him I would."_ She placed it carefully in the dish, then picked up a white candle and again copied Rosie's actions while focusing on her ideas for that act, putting it next to her black one.

Rosaline took her next candle, repeating the preparations as she said, "I resolve to get my GED." She imagined this as she prepared the white candle, and once both were safely in place, she smiled across the altar at her partner.

The scarred mutant prepared her next candle. _"I resolve to send out our overdue electric bill."_

"You _still_ haven't done that?" Rosie cut in.

She smiled sheepishly. _"I keep forgetting."_ Then she finished her second set and looked again at the blonde, hoping she wasn't too annoyed with her.

However, Rosaline's thoughts had clearly moved on to something else. She picked up her last black candle, slowly rubbing the oil into it. She said nothing until she was finished, then whispered, "I resolve to make amends with my parents."

Madison met her eyes, surprised. This was not something she had been expecting or even thought the young woman she loved so much would choose. The two of them had been living together in New York for almost four years, and although it was a struggle, they were making it work. Her Rosie was just starting to be really happy again. Since they had run away from her parents, she had been sending them letters, one every week to let them know that she was okay. She never put the return address on them, sure that if her parents saw it they would come here and drag her home. _Maybe she's getting homesick_, she thought, _or maybe she's worried about them too…_

"Madison?"

She looked over at her at again, realizing that she had become lost in her thoughts and was staring blankly into space. Rosaline held out the last two candles to her, and she took them, preparing them as they had all the others. Finally she said, _"I resolve to forgive the men who murdered Day, and forgive myself for killing them."_

Now it was Rosie's turn to look surprised. Madison spoke of what had happened that night very rarely, and most of the time when she did, she was remembering Day's actions, not her own. She knew she still felt guilty for what she had done in blind rage, but knew also that pressing her to talk about it wouldn't help. Still, for her to pledge forgiveness like this was something unprecedented. She watched in silence as her blemished hands finished with the black candle and moved onto the white, concentrating. Madison didn't look up until both candles were in place behind the others in the dish of sand.

They continued the ritual as planned, dancing to a CD of drums in order to raise energy. Rosaline was careful to keep her skirt away from the altar as they spiraled around it. Eventually the music reached its peak and they both dropped in place, directing the energy they had raised into the candles. Rosaline then leaned forward and picked up the matchbox, striking one match on the side, and proceeded to light them all. Madison gathered the plate of Tharf cakes and jug of apple wine from beside the altar, preparing for the offering and "feast."

She handed Rosaline the plate of cakes, taking the jug in her own hands, and they held them aloft as they asked Persephone and all the gods to bless them. Rosaline crumbled one of the cakes onto their offering plate, while Madison poured a little wine into the chalice. Then they both divided up the remains, sitting back to eat their fill.

"So," Rosie said softly over the feast, "you want to forgive those men, and yourself?"

_"Yes."_ She put down her food. _"I think that's the biggest piece of unfinished business I have." _She took a sip from her cup. _"Don't you want to forgive them someday?"_

The plant-controlling mutant through for a moment. "That really isn't a concern for me," she finally answered. "I don't think of or feel anything for them anymore, at all. They've become absolutely nothing to me."

_"…I'm not sure if that sounds healthy or not, my dear."_

She sighed. "I know. But for me, its better than hating them and feeling the pain of what they did to my brother every single day."

Madison resumed eating her portion of the cakes. _"I guess you have a point there."_

She nodded. "Besides, the forgiveness I want now is forgiveness from my parents. They're probably really angry at me for taking off."

_"I was wondering why you pledged to make amends."_

"Well…we've been here for a really long time now, and honestly, I miss them." She paused to take a drink. "You're my family, Maddy, but so are they. Now that Day's gone, we're all each other has."

Suddenly, a thought occurred to her. _"You want to go back, don't you?"_

Rosaline smirked. "Didn't think you were that kind of telepath, hun."

_"I don't have to be. I know you."_

"Better than anyone," she admitted. "…What do you think, about moving back?"

Madison looked beyond their circle and out the window, her eyes passing over the strange city they had made a life in. Honestly, she would miss it. She was comfortable with cities, the noise and crowds she could lose herself in. People stared at her less, and there tended to be more 'kindred spirits.' Not that she had stayed anywhere long enough to make friends, except for this one. And she knew that no matter how long Rosaline lived in any city, she would never be really comfortable. There just weren't enough trees.

Smiling, she came back to the sacred space they had created. _"I must say that I like it here. But you're my life, Rosie, and the city would be dead without you. I'll go wherever you go."_

Rosaline visibly relaxed. "You sure?"

_"Of course."_

She reached over and took her hand. "Thank you."

Madison just smiled, adjusting the way their hands lay together in order to give it a squeeze. _"When do you want to leave?"_

"Not until after Day's…you know, the anniversary of it. I don't think I can bear to be home for that."

She nodded. _"All right. We'll leave at the end of that month, then?"_

Rosaline squeezed her hand back. "Agreed."

They finished eating and began to close the ritual, dismissing and thanking the elements and Persephone in turn. Then they walked around the circle they had cast, going widdershins to dismiss that too. When all was done, they stood together before the altar, hands entwined.

"Merry meet, merry part," Rosaline said.

_"And merry meet again,"_ added Madison, completing the familiar phrase.

Smiling, Rosaline leaned over and kissed her. "Blessed be."


	4. Diary

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

* * *

Diary

(The Jackson home, Salem, MA; about 2 months after Rosaline, Madison, and Adryen return there from New York)

"Ohhhhhh Rosie!"

Rosaline looked up from the book of family photos she had been perusing. Her friend Adryen leaned against the doorframe, smiling deviously into the library at her. One arm was tucked curiously behind his back.

"Um, yes?"

He swished his bright blue hair over his shoulder, then dramatically presented the item he'd been hiding. It was a small journal, pastel green with rainbows and grinning stars plastered on the front. Rosie blanched. She recognized it immediately. Since the age of five, she had always kept a handwritten diary, and put all the full ones in the bottom drawer of her dresser. This, unfortunately, didn't lock, and was in her old room, where she and her girlfriend Madison were now staying. Right across the hall from Day's old room, which Adryen was staying in.

"What were you doing going through my stuff?" she demanded weakly, trying to gain control of the situation.

Her effeminate friend just clicked his tongue at her. "So you asked Santa to make unicorns real for Christmas when you were eight, and he didn't deliver, and _that's_ why you stopped believing in him?" He watched her face turn bright pink and burst into hysterical laughter.

She jumped up from her chair and chased after him as he turned an ran, continuing to brandish the diary over his head. "Adryen come here and give that back or I'll break all the heels off your shoes!!"

Knowing the threat was idle, he just grinned over his shoulder at her as she tried in vain to catch him. "You know, I didn't take you for the unicorn type hun, much too phallic! Is there something I need to tell your Maddy?"

"ARRGHHHHH!!" She kept running after him, silently cursing his long legs.


	5. Make up

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

* * *

Make-up

All had been relatively peaceful for Rosaline and Madison once they returned to Bayville, New York, to take the jobs Xavier had offered them. They still lived in the mansion, as did Adryen, though the three of them were still looking for a townhouse or large apartment to move into together. Not that they disliked living at the Institute, of course, but they did want their own space, and it would be nice to have their living and working places separate.

_Besides,_ Rosie thought as she logged onto the laptop computer Kitty had leant her to check her e-mail, _if we're going to have children someday, it'll be nice to have at least a semblance of normalcy. Maybe._

The main page of her e-mail provider always showed links to news articles and advertisements, which she usually passed by entirely. Today, however, she was drawn to a piece of entertainment news.

"Dazzler – new face of Mascherina Cosmetics?"

Unable to resist, she clicked on the link, reading softly to herself. _Out-and-proud lesbian pop star Dazzler has signed up to be the newest spokesperson of Mascherina Cosmetics, an up and coming make-up producer… _She kept reading, the frown on her face growing deeper by the minute.

When she was finished, she slammed the laptop shut and stood in a huff, storming out of the room she had settled in. She knew she should start working, but she felt she needed to talk to the Professor about this. Immediately.

* * *

Alison Blaire had been one of the first new students at the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters, as it had been redesigned. The X-men had approached her because of a strange unplanned light display that had happened during one of her middle school choral concerts. She was fifteen, and though none of the teachers or staff could explain where it came from, she knew that it had come from her. It was instinctual; as she sang the music pulled her power out and turned the sounds around her into light. Jubilee, having the most similar power to hers (though it was still entirely different) talked to her first. She told her about the school and what they offered: protection, a place to learn about her abilities and how to control them. The two of them actually got along quite well, except on the issue of boys. Alison had come out of the closet only weeks before her power manifested. She was worried that this might dissuade the X-men from admitting her, but Jubilee just smiled and explained that they'd be hypocrites if they turned away anyone who was different in other ways than their mutation. Relieved, the young girl accepted.

That same day, after the X-men left her house, a talent scout from a major record company approached her. He had been at the concert, visiting a nephew who went to the same school, and saw what had happened. Based on how everyone had been acting afterward, he reasoned that it had something to do with her. Suddenly proud and confident of this new part of herself, she told him the truth, including that of her sexual orientation. Processing this, he told her that his company couldn't promote her as a mutant, per se, but thought her light displays would really sell in addition to her skilled voice and good looks. They could reach out to people, especially gays, with the music she would produce. He knew that it would be risky, but was sure they could make it work. Alison also understood that this would be something unprecedented – a teenage singer who was gay and _out_. That meant a lot, even if she would have to hide her mutation. It sounded too good to resist. She accepted on the spot, with the permission of her parents, and promised herself that she would never look back.

Professor Xavier was also accommodating, knowing Alison's new job would keep her out of classes for long periods of time every now and then. She still wanted to attend school there when she could, so he arranged for that. They found a mutant-friendly tutor who was willing to keep her secret and accompany her on any trips or tours she would be gone for, and another student, Xi'an Man Coy, offered to help her while she was around. That settled, she began her new life at the school and as professional singer.

She became an instant hit, using her mutant abilities to spice up her performances while blaming it on holograms and other technology. She chose "Dazzler" as her stage name, intending to also use it as her alter-ego when she trained at school. However, knowing that her public appearance and use of the same name in both places might reveal her mutant status, Xavier suggested that she only use the name at the Institute if she stopped using it as a pop star. It was much too late for that, so she just remained Alison while at the mansion, both in and out of uniform.

Time passed, and her initial popularity remained. She had to deal with the usual gossip and slander that all celebrities had to deal with, but proved to be impressively skilled at ignoring it. The fact that she was totally open about an aspect of herself that many others would hide helped in that. She also made easy friends at the Institute, so she had a strong support system despite being away from home and travelling often. The mansion's tough security helped to keep the paparazzi and over-enthusiastic fans at bay (and in the dark), while the fact that the whole school had to keep a low profile for her sake helped keep anti-mutant zealots away from all of them. Some of the staff had a problem with this – the people of Bayville had learned long ago that Xavier's school catered to mutants, and it wasn't likely that everyone had forgotten that just because they weren't attending public high school anymore. Tabitha especially objected, saying that self-enforced segregation was one thing, but she did not want to go back into hiding. Xavier, calm and collected as ever, reassured them that they _weren't_ hiding. The X-men still existed and operated as they had before the changes to the school were made. And, he reminded them, in these violent times it was safer to keep a separation between the mutant team and the school's students. What they were doing for Alison's sake would benefit all who had come to them for protection. Everyone had to agree with that. Besides, as they spent more time with her, they all realized that Alison was a genuinely nice person. It was impossible to refuse to help her.

Rosaline went over all of this in her head as she hurried to speak with Professor Xavier. She didn't interact with the students very much, but her girlfriend Madison did in her preparations to begin teaching there. She had grown especially close to Xi'an, Alison's student tutor, because of their shared power of mind control. Xi'an adored Alison and told Madison quite a lot about her, which in turn she told to Rosie. Alison had also turned seventeen a month or so after the three of them arrived, so she was very close to legal adulthood.

But something about this make-up deal bothered Rosaline; actually, several things did. Alison still seemed like a child to her and she didn't want her to be exploited, even though it appeared the girl had handled herself very well so far in her career. She also felt that by using _her_ to sell cosmetics, this company was trying to reach out to lesbians, as if to say "don't worry, you dykes can still wear make-up and be truly feminine too!" To be honest, that bothered her more than anything. She HATED make-up. Neither she or Madison used it. She believed that the fact that women were expected to wear it implied that a woman's natural beauty was not enough, and that her appearance was more important than anything else she could accomplish. As for lesbians, pushing make-up at them like this looked to her like an attempt to re-solidify the gendered roles all women were supposed to fill, according to United States "culture." Part of the gay subculture was the bending of gender, breaking the ridiculous rules both men and women were expected to follow. So this make-up company's use of Alison, an out-and-proud lesbian despite her age, made the plant witch very upset.

She finally reached Xavier's office door and, gathering her courage, raised her hand to knock on it. But she paused, and after a moment, let her arm drop dejectedly to her side.

"Coward," she scolded herself as she headed back down the hallway. "Why am I still such a wuss? …Maybe I'd better talk to Maddy about this first."

* * *

Madison did not get out of her classes at the local community college until mid-afternoon, so Rosaline spent the day attending to her duties as Institute gardener. She threw herself into the task with even more gusto than usual, which was surprising, considering how much she normally loved it. Teachers and the few students who were familiar with her noticed and stared as they walked by, but she ignored them, making it obvious through body language that she wanted to be left alone.

After a while, however, she felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Amara standing over her, concern etched across her face.

"Rosie, are you okay?"

She realized, then, that in her focus she had gotten lost in her mutant abilities. Green faded up through the tips of her blonde hair and she knew without needing a mirror that her eyes had turned completely brown. There were even tinges of green and brown in the skin on her hands, not just stains from the plants she had been working with. This happened sometimes, when she used her power so much, so distractedly, or if she was really emotional, especially in anger. She closed her eyes, willing her body back to its usual appearance.

"I'm fine," she lied, opening eyes that returned to gray and meeting her friend's gaze. "Why? Is something wrong?"

Amara quirked an eyebrow. "Well, you've been obviously lost in your thoughts all day, you missed lunch, and you just went all Earth Mother without noticing. Those are usually pretty good indications."

Rosie sighed. "Its nothing, really."

Amara reached out and gently touched her arm. "Did something happen between you and Madison?"

"No." She laughed lightly, then, looking around to make sure they were alone, she explained why she was really troubled.

"Hmm," the Nova Roman said once she was finished. "I think I remember the Professor saying something about that a couple of days ago, since Alison just had to leave for a promotional photo shoot or something. But I can understand why you're upset."

"…You don't agree?"

"I'm not sure," she admitted. "Back in Nova Roma, the gender rules are much more strict than they are in this country. I'm really grateful for the freedoms I have, living here instead of there, so maybe it doesn't bother me as much because of that. Besides, wouldn't it be easier to just ignore it? No one is really forcing you, or any of us, to buy make-up just because one lesbian is supporting it."

"That's not the point," replied Rosaline. She opened her mouth to continue, but before she could say another word, a voice inside her head interrupted her.

_"I'm home! Where are you?"_

She smiled. "Sorry Amara, Madison's back and I need to go talk to her."

They said goodbye, Amara heading towards the pool while Rosie headed back inside. While she walked, she thought back to her girlfriend, _Just finishing up, love. I'll be upstairs soon, okay?_

_"…You sound sad."_

_Not sad, just…frustrated. And concerned. I'll tell you in a minute._

_"Okay, but now I'm concerned too."_

She sighed, continuing her journey back to their room. Madison, who had been reclining amidst her abandoned bag and books on the bed, stood and wrapped her arms around her as soon as she was in. She laughed.

"Maddy, don't, I'm still all dirty."

_"Don't care,"_ she said, kissing her. _"I really missed you today."_

"Aww, rough day on the playground?"

_"Yeah. College is pretty hard when you technically didn't go to high school, or any school before that, either."_

Rosie kissed her again and led her over to the bed, where they both sat down.

_"Anyway, what are you frustrated and concerned about? Did you have a rough day too?"_

"Not exactly." She explained, in more detail than she had earlier, what she had read about Alison and why she was upset about it.

_"Huh,"_ Madison said, _"I was wondering why Alison took off this time. Xi'an's been moping around like a sad puppy these last couple of days."_

"Do you think this is worth concern, though?" she asked.

She nodded. _"Of course I do. I agree with what you said, and what you feel. It might be a conscious choice of the company to spread that kind of message. Yes, female stars get recruited to sell all kinds of ridiculous products regardless of sexual orientation. But that message is definitely there in Alison's case."_

Rosaline looked relieved. "Good, I was starting to think I might be taking this too far."

_"What?"_

"Amara didn't think it was such a big deal."

Madison chuckled. _"Well, her life and her experience as a lesbian is much different than ours. I can only imagine what Tabitha would say: 'Hey, what's wrong with make-up?!'"_

Rosie giggled, then leaned into Madison, who wrapped her arms around her and stroked her hair. "I feel like I should do something about it, since we know her, but I know its not my place."

_"It isn't. But that doesn't mean you can't think its wrong."_

"I know."

She tilted her love's face upward to meet hers. _"But if you could, what would you do?"_

"Honestly, I just want to talk to her about it, see what she thinks of it and all that," she answered.

_"I don't think that's outside your bounds, honey."_

"Really?"

_"Yes. She might be interested to know about your concerns…as long as you don't try to get her to cancel the deal."_

"Oh come on, I'm not going to do _that_."

_"I know."_ She smiled. _"If you want, I can ask Xi'an when she'll be back."_

"Please." She leaned up and kissed her again. "Thank you."

_"Anything for you, Rosie."_

* * *

As Xi'an accurately reported to Madison, Alison returned to the Institute only a few days later, but it still took Rosaline until the end of the week to talk to her. As soon as the teenager arrived she was swept up by Xi'an and their friends, her time filled with catching up on life. So Rosaline left her alone until things settled down.

Finally it was Saturday, and since all was quiet in the mansion, she decided to chance it. She found Alison studying alone in the room she and Xi'an shared. The door had been left open, so Rosie knocked on the frame to announce her presence. Her blonde hair, a shade darker than the older woman's, swayed as she looked up.

"Um, hi?"

"Hello. My name's Rosaline Jackson, I tend the grounds here."

The girl smiled, and Rosaline couldn't help but notice that she did wear a lot of make-up, although it was applied in more natural tones instead of obnoxious colors. "Oh hi! Please come in. Xi'an said you wanted to talk to me?"

She stepped inside, closing the door behind her. "Yes, if that's all right. I know we don't exactly know each other."

"That's okay," she replied, closing her history textbook as she gestured to the chair across from her bed. "Sit down. You're Madison's partner, right?"

She sat down as directed, feeling silly for being nervous about talking to a girl five years her junior. "Yeah, we've been together for almost six years now."

Alison whistled, the sound turning into a swirl of light beside her face, which dissipated shortly. "Wow, that's a long time. I hope –" She stopped herself then, shaking her head. "Never mind. Anyway, what did you want to talk to me about?"

Rosaline sighed, but sat up straight, trying to look confident. "I recently found out that you've become a spokesperson for Mascherina cosmetics."

"Uh huh."

"I was wondering why you decided to do that."

She thought for a moment. "…Well, the money is good. Not that its about money for me – I even still write my own songs." She pointed, smiling, to an acoustic guitar that was propped up in the corner. "But I do need sponsorship to support my tours and keep doing what I do. The product's actually not that bad either, and if I help them get more money too, it should get even better. Seemed like a win-win situation."

Rosie leaned forward. "Okay. Why did _they_ ask _you_ to do it then, out of all singers?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you're an out lesbian, something that's still pretty unpopular celebrity-wise in this country. It seems a little risky for them."

She nodded. "They actually wanted to work the 'lesbian' angle. I think they have this idea that lesbians are an untapped source for make-up sales or something."

The older woman groaned. "Have they _seen_ the L-Word?"

"Oh I'm sure, but that's Hollywood. Doesn't count."

She sighed. "Well, what do you think of this untapped lesbian market?"

Alison pulled her legs up onto the bed and sat cross-legged, resting her elbows on her knees as she fixed her gaze on Rosaline. "You think I want all the bull-dykes of the world to become lipstick lesbians, don't you?"

She blanched. "Um, I…"

"I've had to deal with people asking me these dodgy questions since I was fifteen, Ms. Jackson," she smiled. "I've discovered how to figure out what they really mean."

Rosie frowned. "I'm sorry, but if you don't mind, I would like to know."

She nodded. "I kinda get why you're worried, so I'll explain. I do not think that all lesbians, or all women, need to wear make-up. I don't know what the ultimate goal of the company is or whatever, and I don't really care. People can buy it or not buy it, whatever they want to do. That is one of the beauties of capitalism, people can choose what they do with their money. I don't think that a lesbian who's more masculine in self-expression will see me on advertisements and commercials and suddenly think she must start wearing make-up too. People are smarter than that, or at least I hope so."

Rosaline listened intently, keeping her opinions to herself, then smiled politely at the girl when she was finished. "I'm glad you feel that way, and I hope people are smarter than that too." She stood to leave. "Thanks for the explanation. I understand that you didn't need to give me one, and I do appreciate it.

Alison smiled back. "You're welcome."

* * *

Later that night, once dinner was over and she and Madison were comfortably in bed, Rosie told her about the talk they had.

"She was nice," she finished after repeating the conversation in her own words. "And smart. I guess she's had to grow up fast because of what she does, or go the way of Britney Spears."

_"Well, its sounds like she_ is _being smart about it,"_ Madison replied. _"I do still think that company might be trying to girl-up lesbians, but I'm glad that's not what she means to do by working for them."_

"Me too. It reassures me a little, I guess."

The scarred woman smirked. _"Besides, I think the fact that she has a girlfriend who doesn't wear much make-up at all helps, or will help if that ever becomes public."_

Rosaline sat up, knocking Madison, who's head had been resting on her stomach, flat onto the mattress. "Wait, what? Who?"

Madison pouted unhappily at having been dropped, but then smiled. _"Xi'an, of course."_

"Xi'an's gay too?"

_"Uh huh."_

"And she and Alison are together?"

_"Yup."_

"Wow." She lay back down, apologetically gesturing to her stomach, and her girlfriend lay back in place. "Did she tell you?"

_"Not exactly. I've suspected for a while, and if you watch the two of them together, its pretty obvious. And, you know, they're roommates."_

Rosie burst out laughing. "Oh, just like Tabby and Amara were!"

Madison nodded, joining in the laughter. _"We probably shouldn't tell anyone,"_ she said after a while. "_I'm sure there are reasons both of them are quiet about it, and they'll come out together when they're ready."_

"Yeah." She reached over and intertwined their fingers. "But we should stick up for them, I think, if they need help."

She nodded again. _"Agreed, though I don't think it will come to that. It's gotten much better here since you, Tabitha and Amara had to deal with such things behind these walls."_

Rosaline thought about that, feeling satisfied. The fact that Jubilee's behavior had changed so much was a sure sign of the general change her love mentioned. There were two sets of lesbian couples on the Institute staff, and three of them were teachers. Adryen, an obvious gay man to all but the blind, was also there, and clearly everyone knew about Alison. Snuggling into Madison, she had to admit that things were in fact getting better, just more slowly on the outside. It was enough to really make her feel hopeful, even despite the make-up.

* * *

_Author's notes: _

In case it wasn't obvious, this is my commentary on the fact that in the real world, Ellen Degeneres is now a spokesperson for _Cover Girl_. That bothers me a LOT. I feel the same way about it that Rosie feels about the Dazzler situation. So this was how I decided to get my feelings out there.

As for Alison and Xi'an (who is also known as Karma, if you didn't recognize the name), they are going to show up a few more times in this fic. I've had ideas for what to do with them for a while, and they fit in pretty well here. The fact that Alison is a lesbian in this story is inspired by this rumor I heard forever ago that Marvel was going to revive her character by making her gay. I'm pretty sure those rumors were false, but it still inspired me enough to write this, and to pair her with Xi'an, who gets far too little love in canon and fandom, I feel.

Soooo yeah, hopefully this was likeable, cause there will be more like it.


	6. Home

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

* * *

Home

It was February in Bayville. There was still a fair amount of snow on the ground, refusing to melt even though the worst of winter was supposed to be past. Rosaline, Adryen and Madison stared out at the cold while they unpacked their belongings, safe and warm inside their new townhouse.

Adryen had found the advertisement for it only a couple of months ago, after a long time where all three of them searched and found nothing satisfactory. His interest in the place was immediate. It was closer to the city than the Institute was – good for him, but still in the suburbs – good for his dear friends, especially Rosie, who needed to have trees around her. The house itself had been there for a long time with little around it until recently. A development of townhouses had been built only a few blocks away, so the current owners had renovated the building and turned it into a duplex to compete with those. Everything was supposed to be up-to-date, the rent was relatively cheap, and they could move in as soon as they wanted to.

He outlined all these positive points when he showed the ad to Rosaline and Madison. Rosie was quickly interested too; however, Madison recognized the place despite its renovations and showed reluctance. But because her friend and girlfriend liked it so much, she agreed to go take a look at it. So in the middle of winter they all bundled up and trudged through the less-than-pleasant weather to go see the building in person. Both she and Rosie had to admit it was larger than they remembered; the owner must have added more rooms to each half. Adryen had neglected to mention, as he didn't know, that it was still walking distance from there to the school, so they wouldn't need to worry about a car for work. Rosie took over the arrangements then, scheduling the actual interview with the landlord and a tour before they signed anything. They met him and saw the inside of the townhouse in one stroke, and he explained to them that because of the building's history there were few other buyers. Madison just smiled sourly and told him she figured as much. He was obviously shocked to hear her voice inside his head, but did nothing else to show his opinion of their mutant status. He just kept his distance and let them explore, answering any questions they asked. It took only a few minutes for both Rosaline and Adryen to grow so attached to the place that they were already deciding what should go in which room. Meanwhile, Madison continued to be hesitant. That changed, however, when she stepped into a certain room that she would never forget; where years ago she had been given a gift that changed her life forever. The fact that that room was still a part of this building switched her thinking around, and she agreed for all of them on the spot.

So months later, she stood calmly watching her love put the picture of her late brother Day on the center of the mantelpiece. She walked over to her then and wrapped her arms around her. Rosie relaxed into Madison's embrace and they both turned to look around their new home.

Madison had not expected to live in the old Brotherhood house ever again, or that she'd be this happy about it.


	7. Break up

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

* * *

Break-Up

_(Roughly two years after they return to Bayville…)_

One evening in late fall, Rosaline and Madison were having dinner at home when a knock at their door interrupted their conversation. They looked at each other, confused, across the table.

"Maybe Adryen forgot his keys?"

_"No, there's a show at the bar tonight, so he probably won't be back until late even if he did forget them."_

Rosie shrugged and got up to answer it. The security chain was latched, so she only peeked out to see who it was. The porch light revealed a young Asian woman with short black hair mostly hidden under the hood of her violet sweater. Her hands were shoved awkwardly into the pockets of her baggy jeans, and her eyes were red and swollen. Her bicycle was propped against the side of the house, hidden behind a large bush under the window. She hadn't noticed that Rosie had opened the door at all, so her gaze continued to wander nervously about.

Rosaline slid the chain off the door and opened it wider. "Xi'an?" she said. "What's wrong?"

The student known as Karma smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, but is Madison home? I just want to talk."

"Of course," she replied, and ushered the girl in. Madison was already up and walking toward them. She noticed the signs of stress on the young mutant's face and wordlessly reached forward to pull her student into a hug. At that contact, Xi'an started crying.

_"Tell me what happened."_

They moved to sit down on the couch and make themselves comfortable while Rosaline headed for the kitchen to make tea and give them some space. Madison was a mentor to Xi'an, but she was no where near as close to her, though they liked each other well enough. Once they were settled, Xi'an lowered her hood, sniffling as she tried to compose herself enough to speak.

"…Alison dumped me," she finally said.

Madison frowned. _"Xi'an, I'm so sorry."_

She nodded, smiling weakly. "Thanks. And I am really sorry to bother you, I just…I don't think Professor Kitty would understand, and our friends didn't even know about us, so I didn't know who else to turn to."

_"Its all right. Do you want to talk about it?"_

"Yes." She blushed at her own forwardness, trying not to cry again. "She, she told me that since the Mutant Registration Act passed, she's going to hide her powers completely, even more than she already has been. That… well, that means cutting all ties to the Institute. Including me."

_"What?"_

"She's worried about her career, which I get, I really do." She buried her face in her hands. "I just wish that our relationship was more important to her than that. I…I thought she _loved_ me."

Madison bit her tongue, keeping her thoughts about Alison's actions to herself. _"She might still, Xi'an. I think her life is more complicated than that."_

"But it doesn't matter. She broke up with me anyway." The troubled young woman fought to keep her tears under control. "This is so stupid – she cannot hide who she is! And we've broken up before and always get back together, so its not like…well, I probably should have seen this coming."

Rosaline reappeared then, carrying a tray with three steaming mugs. She put it down on the coffee table and handed one to each of them. "Um, its chamomile, if that's okay." Madison smiled at her lovingly, while Xi'an just nodded her thanks and sipped it slowly. Rosie sat down next to her girlfriend, who used her power of mental speech to project an explanation of what happened into her head. Her eyes widened in shock, but she said nothing.

_"So, its been a week since the Registration Act was passed. What exactly has Alison done to remove herself from all of this?"_

"Other than dumping me?" Xi'an scoffed. "Well, she took off on another tour last spring, when we graduated, and hasn't been back since. The only reason I'm still here is that I have no where else to go. But I guess all she has to do to really distance herself is never come back." Her voice turned even more bitter. "I bet she'll move to L.A. and find some sexy thin actor girl to date while she hides. Maybe they'll even make a movie about her. The hot young lesbian chic teenage pop star who couldn't possibly be a mutie freak." She let her tears fall freely then, staring sadly into her mug.

Rosaline and Madison looked at each other. Then, gently, Madison reached over and laid her hand on Xi'an's shoulder. When the girl looked up, she smiled sympathetically.

_"If you want, you know, you can stay here for a while. We still have some pasta leftover from dinner, and we can watch a movie or play a game or something."_

She managed to smile back. "Thanks. I'd like that."

They reheated the pasta and picked a movie to watch while they ate, then pulled _Sorry_ down from the closet. Rosaline and Madison did their best to distract Xi'an from the pain she felt, but later, as they bid her goodbye, they had to admit that nothing could be _that_ distracting. Xi'an would be all right, but it would take time. They only hoped that they had helped a little.

* * *

_Author's notes:_

As I mentioned in "Make-up," I pair Dazzler and Karma in my XME universe. I like them as a couple, but I see them as very on-and-off. In real life, not every relationship that starts in high school works out, so I wanted to reflect that reality in my writing.

Also, in case I don't get to writing this in the fic, I imagine that Karma has a very short-lived rebound relationship with Sunfire, who is also a student at the school at the end of "Triangle" (which hopefully you've already read if you're reading this). That's the version of Sunfire from _Exiles_, by the way. Gotta make a tip of the hat to all the lesbian mutant characters I can, you know :)


	8. Almost

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

* * *

_Dedicated to all women who have felt like this at one time or another, myself included._

Almost

Rosaline believed that her period was a gift from the Goddess, a reminder of the connection she had as a woman to the tides of life, and she celebrated this reminder every time it came.

Well, almost.

Just sometimes when that time of the month rolled around her cramps would get so bad and the bleeding would be so heavy and her moods would be so out of whack that she'd hate it and curse and think it was totally unfair that only women had to go through this.

At those times she knew her benevolent Earth Mother image was kind of a joke, and she was glad she didn't tell anyone about them.

Madison could tell anyway, of course, but never pointed it out. She knew Rosie really _was_ a benevolent Earth Mother, regardless of these few and far between spurts of menstrual hate.


	9. Could of

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

* * *

Could Of

Rosaline could have refused to give up on Tabitha after she realized that Amara loved her. She could have kissed her when they danced that night and asked her out. She might have, then, become _her_ girlfriend before Madison showed up.

In that case, the relationship would have been flawed. Rosie and Tabby were very different people; though they functioned well as friends, they were too different to work as lovers. Still, Rosaline could have tried, and kept trying in her desperation to be happy. It would have prevented her from having any friendship with Amara, and broken the bonds that already existed between Amara and Tabitha. They would probably have argued all the time and been miserable in their togetherness. When Madison revealed herself to save Day and some people thought she had attacked him, Rosie might have really believed them and turned away from the one person she would really match. When things got bad for her at school, with all the taunts and attacks, Tabitha might have reacted with violence or denial in order to protect herself. When Day went off to find his sister's attackers, she might not have gone after him, and wouldn't have been able to bring his body back.

Or Madison could have never come to Bayville. She could have ignored the premonitions about Day's accident and kept running. She might have gone on like that forever, totally alone, just as Rosaline would have been without her. Day might then have died earlier than he did, from the accident near the cemetery, or he still might have died in his attempted revenge. Either way, Rosaline would have had to deal with his death by herself. While Madison wandered, she would have returned to Salem with her parents and stayed there to sink deeper into her pain. They would have both been lost.

Luckily, though, they really couldn't have, because they did find each other.


	10. Opportunity

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

* * *

Opportunity

_(New York City, early into their stay there…)_

_"We have the opportunity to help people, Rosie,"_ Madison insisted. She stood inside the doorway of the apartment she and Rosaline shared, sopping wet from the rain. Although her style of dress had changed since her girlfriend began to teach her that she was indeed beautiful, now she wore the dark clothes she used to, covering every inch of her skin. A black knit ski mask hung limply in her right hand.

Rosaline stood a few feet away from her with her arms crossed over her chest, totally dry from the hours spent at home waiting for her love to return from work. Her silence was more painful to Madison than anything.

_"We have powers,"_ she continued, pleading. _"We can use them to help those in need. Hell, I even get visions of things before they happen sometimes, like what happened with D-"_

"Don't you dare!" the plant witch shouted, her voice broken. "Do not bring my dead brother into this! That power didn't give you anything to really save _him_. What makes you think its going to be any different with people we don't know?"

_"…You know it comes and goes, love. I can't say how much it will help, but you have to admit that it might." _She stepped forward, reaching to take her hands, but the shorter woman drew away and turned her back to her.

"No," she whispered. "We didn't ask to be mutants. Having powers does not mean we have to fight crime with them."

_"But the X-men, who_ you _worked with –"_

"Fuck the X-men, Madison!" She whirled back around. "The X-men don't make anyone use their powers, and they only protected me! We have no obligation to be heroes just because they do what they do!"

_"But I can stop what happened to me, what happened to_ you, _from ever happening again!"_

"No you can't. You can't be in thousands of places at once." Rosaline walked over to their bed, stopping at Madison's side of it. She grabbed her pillow and one of the blankets, then strode over to the couch, dumping them onto it unceremoniously. "And next time you want to keep secrets from me, here's a tip: don't come home three hours late dressed like a ninja."

_"Rosie…"_

Without answering or even looking at her, Rosaline went back to the bed, climbing into it and curling up under the remaining blankets. Madison sighed, feeling crushed, and headed for the couch. She stripped off her wet clothes and lay down, pulling the blanket over her and she reached to turn off the light.

She lay awake then, staring into the darkness while the sounds of the city and her lover's tears kept her from sleep.


	11. Trust

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

_Also,_ this is the sequel to "Opportunity." Please do read that first.

* * *

Trust

It had been three days since the argument, and Madison hadn't stopped playing superhero. She just did it after Rosaline had fallen asleep. Even though she was "allowed" back in bed, they weren't really speaking. She knew Rosie must have figured out what was going on – her girlfriend, though sweet and sometimes naïve, wasn't stupid, and it was impossible to miss how sluggish she was becoming. Still, she went out, determined to try and make a difference.

One night it finally went bad. She tried to stop a mugging, but the gang was bigger in number than she thought. She couldn't use her power to control all of them. They beat her until she fell into unconsciousness, and when she woke up they were gone, along with the man she had been trying to help. She was relived to find she could stand and did so slowly, making her way back home. It was painful, but she could tell her wounds were not serious; when she had been on her own before Bayville she had been attacked a few times, and that, combined with what her father had done to her since birth, gave her an understanding of how much her body could take. Still, there was now proof in the cuts and bruises that she hadn't stopped like Rosie wanted her to. There was no way she'd be able to hide them. However, she realized as she walked along carefully that she was rethinking her actions. The situation could have turned much uglier, and even if she wasn't killed, she didn't have medical insurance and they wouldn't be able to afford any hospital bills. She cursed, feeling stupid for not having thought of that sooner. And what was Rosie going to say?

The pain increased as she climbed the stairs of their building, but before long she was at the door. Fumbling with her keys, she opened it and staggered inside. If she could get to the bathroom quietly, she could clean herself up without waking her girlfriend, and she'd tell her the truth in the morning. Luck was not with her; Rosaline sat wide awake in bed, staring at the door as if she had willed it to open. Her face paled and she gasped when she saw the state her love was in. Forgetting her anger in place of worry and fear, she jumped up and rushed to her side.

"Goddess…what happened?" she asked in a terrified squeak of a voice.

Madison leaned against the wall, sliding down to sit on the floor. _"I think I bit off more than I could chew."_

"You're bleeding!"

_"Just a bit."_

Stammering, Rosie disappeared into the bathroom. She emerged moments later with her arms full of various objects from their medicine cabinet. Most of it was useless, but she plopped the assortment down and started sifting through it anyway. Madison pointed out what she needed, and Rosie silently helped her clean and bandage herself up. She also urged her love to take some painkillers, still worried despite her insistence that she'd be all right. Then they sat there in silence, both of them staring at nothing and thinking worlds of different things.

"I should call the Professor. He could get us back to the Institute and Dr. McCoy could tend your wounds," Rosie suggested quietly after what seemed like hours.

_"No. I don't want to go back to Bayville, and I know you don't either."_

"Then I'd better call my parents."

_"Even more no. They'd take you back to Salem, and away from me, especially if they saw me like this."_

She sighed, and Madison knew without looking at her that she was crying. "…I want to scream at you and tell you how stupid you are for doing this."

_"Then why don't you?"_

"Because more than that, more than anything, I want you to understand why I want you to stop. I want that to_ mean_ something to you." She took a shuddering breath. "I know you want to help people, but I lost my brother because he wanted to be heroic and avenge me. I can't lose you the same way. I love you too much."

She reached over and took her hand. _"I love you too, Rosie."_

Rosaline looked at her and met her eyes, tears still streaming from her own. "I need to be able to trust you, Madison. Completely. Trust that you won't hurt me, trust that you won't leave me. Trust that you won't die trying to be a hero."

_"You_ can _trust me, love."_

"Not if you keep doing this."

Silent, she thought about that. _"…But don't you think we have an obligation because of what we can do?"_

"I don't. Didn't I explain that clearly enough before? We can use our gifts in other ways, help people in other ways. And I don't see my power over plants as just a tool to benefit humans. I…I don't want to tell you what to do, and I'm not trying to control you, really. I just know I can't live the life this would bring us."

Madison closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the wall. _"All right,"_ she said after a few moments had passed. _"I'll stop. But if I'm out somewhere and I see someone that needs help, and I can improve the situation safely, I'm still going to."_

Rosaline let out a relief-filled sob, then kissed her on the cheek. "Thank you." She stood up, helping Madison to her feet, and they hobbled back into bed together.

"So what are you going to tell your boss?" she asked as they made themselves comfortable.

_"About my injuries?"_

"Uh huh."

_"…I joined Fight Club?"_

She rolled her eyes. "Oh very funny. But seriously, you're going to need an excuse or they'll think I beat you."

_"They won't think that. You're too sweet, and you bring them cookies sometimes."_ She smiled. _"I guess I'll tell them I'm the one who got mugged."_

"Will they believe that?"

_"They'll believe that more than if I told them I was a superhero for a week."_

"Point." She carefully snuggled closer to her love, minding her bumps and bruises. "Maddy, I am sorry I stopped you. I understand why you wanted to do it. But I know you'll find a way to help people without putting yourself in danger."

Madison sighed, and though there was sadness in it, the fact that she leaned to kiss the smaller woman on the head and ran her fingers through her hair clearly showed her acceptance. _"I hope so, honey. But either way, its not worth losing you."_

"Good," Rosaline whispered. Moments later they were both asleep, resting better than they had in days.

* * *

_Author's notes:_

I wrote this, and "Opportunity," because my interest in the superhero-genre circles around the humanistic aspects of being superhuman. Like Rosie and Madison wondered, does a person have to fight crime if they have super powers? I'm actually really torn on the issue – part of me agrees with Rosaline, part of me agrees with Madison. Writing about it helps me explore both of those views on it within myself.

And I also realize that in most of the situations I've written so far where these two are disagreeing, Madison ends up caving and doing what Rosie wants. That's not how their relationship is in general. So I will be writing something soon where it's the other way around :)


	12. Haunted

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

* * *

Haunted

She should have known better. There were certain things her lover would never be comfortable with, no matter how much time had passed, because of what had happened to her. The signs of her own past trauma were invisible, especially now that she was happy and comfortable again. But her love saw reminders of her pain every time she looked in the mirror, and Rosaline knew she should have been aware of that.

"I've been thinking, you know, seeing how good Remy is with his babies," she had said. "We haven't talked to my parents much since our Handfasting, and Father's Day is coming up. How about we surprise them for it with a visit?"

They had been having lunch together on Institute grounds since they were both working, and the conversation had been innocent and pleasant…until she said those words. Madison's entire body froze, her sandwich halfway to her open mouth.

_"I…I can't. I don't celebrate that day,"_ she replied, almost coldly.

Rosie scrambled to apologize, immediately aware of her mistake, but the damage was done. Madison just shook her head and gathered her half-eaten meal, mumbling an excuse, then took off. This left her girlfriend alone to curse herself for being so inconsiderate, even if it was unintentional.

When someone's father brutalizes them, beating and cutting them enough to leave scars that last into adulthood, ripping out their vocal chords to stop them from ever having a voice, its understandable that they wouldn't want to celebrate a day honoring any fathers, ever again.


	13. Ambiguity

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

* * *

Ambiguity

(_About a year and 10 months after the return to Bayville…_)

"Shit. Shit shit shit shit shit!"

Sitting at a table covered with papers, most containing unfortunately high numbers that had yet to go down, Adryen practically clawed at his blue hair in frustration. The club was empty and it was late, very late, but he had to figure this out.

No, Bayville hadn't had a "gay scene" before he arrived, even though he had definitely discovered the existence of a queer lack-of-community. There was basically nowhere to go, so that's why he was here, wasn't it? Things were supposed to work out, there weren't supposed to be any problems.

He looked down at the numbers again, biting his lip. "Shit."

The phone rang, startling him and almost knocking him out of his chair and onto the floor. His initial thought would usually be that such an accident would have broken one of his nails, but right now, he didn't care. Some things were more important than the state of his appearance.

"Yeah?"

_"Hey, it's me."_

"Madison, fuck, you don't need to say 'It's me.' You're the only person who speaks in my head when I answer the phone, remember?"

_"Right. Anyway, Rosie was wondering if you're coming back at all tonight." _There was a slight pause, then, _"Okay, not wondering, she was worried because you've been out so long. It's only Tuesday, so apparently this is noteworthy."_

"I'm fine," he reassured her in a voice he knew was completely un-reassuring. "Just some trouble with the club."

_"Oh."_ She was quiet for a moment, and Adryen could hear a muffled voice in the background. "_Back,"_ she said eventually. _"Anything we can help with?"_

"Not unless you've randomly manifested powers to create money."

_"Sorry, no. Hold on."_ Almost a full minute passed this time, but she was back again, this time sounding a bit optimistic_. "Rosie has an idea. Mind if we come over?"_

"Feel free. Bring Smirnoff." He hung up the phone without saying goodbye, knowing they wouldn't mind, and got up to pace the room as he waited for them.

Rosie's idea may or may not have been brilliant; they'd see in time. While handling "The Rainbow Connection" in its first month-or-so of existence Adryen had been really wrapped up in finding established Drag Queens and Kings who could work full-time at the club, not looking or allowing for any other options. What he ignored, as his plant-witch friend pointed out, was the possibility of fresh talent.

"One of these nights, feature an event that showcases amateur Drag performers," she suggested when she got there. "Not only would it draw new people in, but you could use it like an audition. Ask the ones you'd like to keep, I mean, after the performance. That'd definitely get you a crowd and maybe some permanent employees. It's worth a shot, right?"

Posters were up the following day.

* * *

Lunchtime at the Xavier Institute was always an experience. There had been previous attempts to let the teachers eat at the same time as the students, for convenience's sake, but apparently this proved a perfect opportunity for trouble. So the faculty decided to switch around their own lunch schedules in groups, that way someone would always be watching the children and they'd all still get to eat.

As it was, the day after Adryen announced his grand event Rogue, Remy, Tabitha, and Amara ended up on the same lunch "shift." Oddly, it didn't come up at first, but as other conversation began to die down, Tabitha piped up, "Did you guys see? Adryen's looking for performers."

"Yeah, he's really worried 'bout that," Rogue added. "Apparently the club hasn't been doin' as well as he'd hoped."

The blonde nodded. "I was thinking of trying it."

Everyone stared at her with surprise. "…Really?" said Remy finally, trying not-so-hard to stifle his laughter.

"Tabitha…" Amara blushed, and lowered her voice. "You're very, well, obviously a woman…how are you going to hide that?"

A wicked grin crossed the blonde's features. "Oh, there are definitely ways. In fact, I think I'll go call him about it right now." She got up and left without another word.

Watching her go, Amara bit her lip, concern etched across her face.

Remy smirked. "Don' worry, petite, I'm sure she's not gon' cut off 'er tits."

Amara turned bright red. "I didn't, uh…"

Rogue laughed. "Y'know, Ah wonder if any o' the students will give it a try. Xavier let him post some of the fliers around the school."

"Oh I'm sure dey will," her boyfriend responded. "I t'ink we've got an interestin' group this year, oui?"

Amara nodded. "Do you know if anyone else will be performing? Or thinking about it?"

They both shook their heads. "No, Ah haven't talked to anybody else 'bout this, except y'all."

"Same."

She leaned back. "Well, I just hope Tabitha doesn't hurt herself…" Then she turned red again, realizing what she meant, and that she had said it out loud. "Um, I mean, uh…"

Remy smirked again and opened his mouth to speak, but Rogue hit him on the arm, glared, and moved to take off one of her gloves.

His smirk turned into a grin. "Anytime, chere."

She rolled her eyes and searched for other topics of conversation.

* * *

Contrary to Rogue and Remy's predictions, as the days passed it became clear that none of the students were interested in performing, though many wanted to attend. Most of them weren't old enough to get into the club, and if they had others means of getting in, they kept it a secret from their teachers. Odds were they didn't want any chance of being stopped.

However, as Rosaline was working one day, using her powers to tend to the biggest garden on the grounds, she heard footsteps approaching and turned around to find one of the oldest students approaching her. The girl was of average height with long purple hair, pale skin and very dark eyes. She was dressed in jeans and a top that looked like a Japanese kimono, reminding the plant witch of the fact that she had a fascination with that culture. She was British, if memory served, and had psionic powers different but similar to Jean's, though she couldn't remember how. She wasn't really familiar with most of the students, but all the faculty had been advised to keep an eye on her because of her temper and a strong interest that she had taken with Angel.

"Hello Betsy," Rosie said as she stood up and wiped her soiled hands on her apron. "Anything I can help you with?

"Yes," the girl replied. "I was wondering about the Drag show your friend is putting on."

"Okay…what about it?"

"Well, for one, do you know how much the cover is going to be?"

She thought for a moment. "I think that's on the posters, but it should be five dollars for people under twenty-one. Why do you ask?"

"No reason. See you later." She spun around to leave, then looked over her shoulder. "Oh, and I didn't ask you anything, okay?" Before Rosie could answer, the girl was gone.

"Huh." Sighing, she turned back around to continue her work, when suddenly a red bolt of energy came shooting in her direction. She yelped and ducked in time to avoid it, watching helplessly as it crashed into the garden and destroyed a section of cyclamens. "Damn it!" she cursed, and stood up to see where it had come from.

Alex Masters waved at her from across the lawn. "Sorry Rosaline!" he shouted, and then was promptly tackled by a green haired girl a few years younger than him, who he was currently dating. Despite the age difference most everyone accepted them and left them alone, in part because Scott actually _approved_. The girl, Lorna Dane, also waved at the school gardener and then promptly took to chasing Alex around, scolding him about what he had done.

Rosie turned back to the destroyed patch of flowers and focused, reaching out to what life was left. As green seeped into the tips of her hair and her eyes began to turn brown, the flowers sprung back into life, refilling the spaces they had previously occupied. Satisfied, she smiled, and her eyes and hair returned to normal. "For the sake of these plants, thank Goddess I'm around."

She then felt arms slide around her waist from behind, and though startled, she leaned into her girlfriend's embrace. "Hello love."

_"Hey,"_ Madison said.

She turned around to face her and gave her a quick kiss. "What are you doing here? You don't have any classes with the Professor until Monday."

_"I know, but Adryen's freaking out about the club again. I thought bringing him here would distract him enough to calm him down."_ Reaching for her hand, she wove their fingers together. _"Besides, I wanted to know if you wanted to go out to lunch."_

"Mmmm, tempting. I guess I can spare an hour or two. I just need to tell Xavier and then we can leave."

_"Take your time. I bet Adryen still needs a few minutes."_

"Okay. In that case, I'll go check on the front garden and make sure no one's destroyed it, then meet you inside."

_"Deal."_ She leaned in to kiss her again, gave her a gentle squeeze around the middle, and let her go. _"See you in there."_

"Uh huh." With that, they went their separate ways.

As Madison slipped through the door, the sound of racket from the end of the hallway announced that bringing her friend here hadn't yet reached the effect she had hoped it would. She headed in the direction of the noise, quickly coming up on a familiar scene.

Apparently, Adryen had run into Rogue and Remy while she was gone, and was now freaking out on them. They were standing there patiently, trying to listen to his complaints with calm and understanding. But it was obvious that they were quickly getting frustrated.

"And no one has gotten in touch with me about performing, except Tabitha, and she and I won't do for a full show, and if no one else contacts me I don't know what I'm going to do! I'll be fucked, and not in the good way!" He paused for a moment, "Hi Maddy," and then continued. "I mean, I could just let people show up without making a list first, but then I'll need to scramble around to tell the DJ what songs to play and in which order to play them and decide which goes best together and it'll be shit!"

Rogue glanced aver at the newly arrived member of their party and immediately gave her a look that screamed 'Help!' Madison shrugged, but stepped forward and laid a hand on his shoulder. _"Adryen, relax, it's been less than a week and there's still plenty of time…"_

"No there isn't! The life of my bar is at stake and if this flops I don't know what the fuck I'm going to do!" He continued to pace back and forth faster than any of them had thought possible, muttering various curse words and occasionally screaming wordlessly and stamping his feet, ignoring everyone who tried to calm him down. It was funny, really; he was more freaked out now than he had been before they had come up with a solution to the problem.

This went on for almost ten minutes without interruption. Madison, Rogue, and Remy just stood there staring, unsure of what to do.

Finally, Rogue let out an exasperated sigh and pulled off one of her gloves. "Ah can't take any more of this. Madison, get ready to catch 'im, okay?"

Nodding, Madison slowly stepped in the direction she assumed her friend would fall.

When Adryen passed her next, Rogue quickly reached out and pressed her bare hand against his cheek, gripping hard to make him stop. He gasped and froze as her power kicked in. She held on for only a second, but as they watched, the brightness faded from his hair and flowed into hers, turning her brown into vibrant blue. She let go only after a moment but it had still been long enough; after all, she'd absorbed greater powers in that time.

Remy had to stifle his laughter behind his hand, and Madison bit her lip. Rogue ran her hand through her hair, twirling a few of the pieces around, and groaned. "Y'know, Ah shoulda figured."

Not a second later Rosaline appeared from around the corner. "Okay honey, I'm ready to…" She looked over the scene as they turned to look at her, then opened her mouth to speak, only to close it again and shake her head. "I'm not going to ask."

_"Well, at least he's calmed down now,"_ her girlfriend noted. _"Though we can't exactly take him out like this."_

"You were goin' to go out t'lunch?" Remy asked.

"Yeah," Rosie answered.

"We can take care 'a him 'til you get back," Rogue decided, reaching to take Adryen from Madison, which she gladly let her do. She smirked. "Thank god for super strength, huh?"

"Thanks guys," Rosaline said, smiling at them genuinely as Madison moved to join her. "We shouldn't be longer than an hour."

"Okay," Remy replied, warily.

_"Good luck,"_ Madison called as they walked away. _"You're probably going to need it."_

As soon as they were gone, Remy looked at Rogue and sighed. "I sure hope you know what you're doin', chere."

"Oh Ah do," she grinned. "Come on, let's go bother Kurt. Ah'm sure that'll be an experience."

* * *

As the event drew closer, Adryen's fears began to dissipate, at least a little. More and more people were getting in touch with him, and by the day before it, he had about ten performers besides himself. That made for a perfect two sets, in his opinion, and with that done he could concentrate on last-minute details which were pretty much all taken care of.

After the bar closed that evening, only he, Madison, and Rosaline were left inside, so he sat down at the bar and poured them more spirits. Luckily, he had picked up some bartending knowledge since he opened the place, so they were likely to be drinkable. That done, he raised his glass and grinned.

"To tomorrow!" he shouted, in his drunken haze forgetting about the concept of indoor voices.

"To tomorrow!" both his friends answered back.

Sipping her drink, Rosie sighed and leaned back on the bar. "So only two of our friends at the mansion signed up, right?"

"Uh huh," he said. "Tabby, which I told you, and that guy named Ray."

_"Yeah, that'll be interesting,"_ Madison chimed in. _"It's too bad none of the students wanted to perform, the chaos that ensued would have been great."_

Rosie reached over the bar for an ice cube, popping it into her mouth. "Well, most of them can't even legally get in here. I think Alison can, but her agents probably told her it would be bad for publicity or something."

Madison nodded. _"Being out doesn't mean she can do whatever she wants. Poor thing. I know Xi'an wanted to come, but she's not 18 yet, and she wouldn't have as much fun without Alison there anyway."_

"And even though the place is getting more liberal by the day some of the teachers there have voiced their not-so-positive opinions of it, which probably discourages the other students even more," Rosie added.

_"Sarah's really been the only one acting like that, dear. I caught her saying things a few times. It's just strange to her, and she doesn't mean to be cruel, I don't think. She just doesn't understand."_

"Oh please!" Adryen giggled. "She's such a dyke and so closeted no wonder it makes her uncomfortable."

"Hun, we don't know that for sure," Rosie warned.

"Oh wake up and use the gaydar. There's definitely something going on with her, and she's definitely family. Isn't she a clone of Wolverine? Wolverine likes those of the female persuasion, so shouldn't she, too?"

"But if Logan is straight, and the sexual orientation, not the gender of attraction, is what's, er, "programmed" in us, then theoretically she should be straight too."

Madison sat up. _"Well, regardless of who badmouths us and who is or is not gay, I think tomorrow will be awesome. And you know I'll be there, so I can easily quiet the crowd if it gets out of hand."_

"I think that's the drink talking," Adryen replied, smirking. "You can't control an entire club-full of people, no matter how good you've gotten with your powers."

"Hopefully it won't come to that." Sitting up, Rosaline took a look at her watch, and began to stand. "It's really late. We'd better get some rest so we can handle tomorrow." She took her cell phone out of her bag, dialing the numbers of a local cab company.

Adryen stood up, swaggered, then leaned on her as Madison stood to help them both. "A sad point, but a valid one. Let's go home."

* * *

The next morning, Rosaline woke to her alarm (which went off much too early, in her opinion) and headed off to the campus for work, as usual. Madison went with her as she had to talk to the Professor, and Adryen headed to the bar, telling them he'd leave right after they did but really sleeping in a little longer. Surprisingly, the day went smoothly for all of them; even through the small amounts of drama at the mansion with Tabitha and Ray making sure they had everything they needed and certain students trying to hide their plans to sneak in.

Evening came, and groups of people formed to go over to the bar. Some managed to get an early start, like Bobby and Jubilee, who took Ororo and Hank with them, but most everyone else waited until they knew they wouldn't have to waste time before the show.

It took a while for both Kitty and Rogue to get ready, to the frustration of Remy and Kurt. They had all agreed to go together, their friend and fellow X-man Piotr and Kurt's wife Amanda included. As the boys stood waiting in the hallway, Amanda among them, Kurt sighed and put an arm around Amanda's waist.

"Vell, at least I picked a girl who cleans up quick."

She frowned. "Rogue will probably punch you for that, and her punches hurt nowadays, you know."

"Vhat?" he asked, feigning innocence. "That vas a compliment to you, liebchen, not an insult to her."

"Well Ah heard ya," his sister said as the bathroom door opened. "Luckily, it's not worth mah time."

Remy laughed. "Dat's my girl." He took her hand in his, then turned with the others as Kitty emerged from her room.

"All set," she grinned, obviously pleased with how she looked. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah," Amanda replied, beginning to lead them downstairs. "Let's get going, I bet it's really crowded by now.

As they got outside and headed for Kurt's van, which miraculously had lots of space, they heard a call from behind them and turned to see Amara running in their direction.

"Wait up!" she called.

"Vhere's Tabitha?" Kurt asked.

Sighing, she caught up with them and shook her head. "She said she needed more time to get ready and told me to go ahead without her. Ray's still inside too so he's going to give her a ride once they're both set to go."

"Y'know, Ah bet Adryen is gonna be annoyed that they didn't wanna get ready there," said Rogue.

"We'll see." They all climbed into the van as Kurt slid in and revved it up, trying to make it sound cool even though it was really a piece of junk. It didn't take long to get to the club, but it took longer to find parking, then more time to walk from the lot to the right street. Luckily there was no line outside yet, and as they approached the bouncer recognized them and waved them in. They also passed by the guys who charged for entry, who also recognized them and let them through without asking for cover.

"It pays to know the boss," Kitty grinned, and the others nodded.

The place was already packed, an unusual array of people lining the bar and filling up the dance floor. Some of them were recognizably mutants, some weren't. Some dressed themselves so one would assume they were gay or queer, some didn't, but the entire group was aware that that didn't mean anything.

Amara looked around, then put an arm out to stop them, pointing inconspicuously to a door next to the stage. "That's the way backstage. Let's go."

Trying not to be noticed they made their way through the crowd, they managed to get there without any problems. As they moved Rogue looked more and more uncomfortable, until Remy reached down and took her hand in his. She felt the clink of their rings through her glove and the gloves he had taken to wearing, meeting his eyes in the reminder of their secret. He smiled at her and she smiled back, relieved in the fact that she wasn't alone.

The hallway they entered and all the rooms off of it screamed chaos. At least ten people, male and female alike, were running back and forth putting on costumes and constructing and hiding things in ways none of them would possibly have thought could work.

"I guess zis is the one time ve can't ask you to use your 'gaydar' to find Adryen, Amara," Kurt joked.

She was about to explain for the millionth time that 'gaydar' didn't work that way when all of a sudden a loud gasp rang out, and quick footsteps hurried toward them. Adryen, now in his drag persona Shayda Bloo, grinned at them through a veil of frustrated nervousness. She was dressed in a well-filled-out yellow corset with gold tassels sewn on where the nipples should be and a full-length tight skirt to match the top. Her blue hair was tied back in a sort of French twist with tendrils hanging down in just the right places, accentuating a face made up in even more yellow.

"Well hello, my people," she said. "Glad you got here on time. Maddy and Rosie are in the back, third room on the right, if you wanna go say hi. I need someone to drag Rosie out of there before the show starts anyway."

"Will do," chuckled Rogue, giving her a quick hug. "You look gorgeous."

"Seconded!" chimed Amara.

"I know." Her head swiveled to look at the former princess. "Where's Tabby?"

She smiled. "On her way. Ray's bringing her when they're ready."

"Good." Shayda sighed, "I gotta go, so much to do. Oh, and don't forget to elbow your way up to the stage! Feel free to knock people over if you must."

They all laughed. She waved and ran back down the hallway, heels clicking as she turned sharp and ducked into another room.

"Well, let's go," said Amanda, pulling her husband along as she headed down the hallway. The rest followed suit until they found the room Shayda pointed out, knocking even though the door was already open. Rosaline looked up from the vanity and smiled brightly, getting up to greet them.

"Hey guys," she said, her blue skirts swirling around her as she ushered them in. "Sorry, I guess it's going to be a little cramped in here."

"No problem, petite," replied Remy. "Where's Madison?"

She gestured towards another door behind her. "Bathroom. But she'll be out soon."

No sooner had she said that than the door opened, and out stepped a man who looked like the woman they expected. Though they still knew it was her, they were impressed. He had a five o'clock shadow and wore baggy dark green denim pants with silver chains hanging around his hips, along with a white top that looked like it must have belonged to Day. It clung pretty tight to his body but showed little sign of the breasts that should be there; there was only a slight bulge that probably wouldn't even be noticeable from below the stage. The pants and top were actually attached, in a way, by some slightly loose suspenders, which were black with green stars on them.

_"Hey,"_ he spoke, his mental voice the same as it would be out of drag.

"Shouldn't that be deeper?" Amara asked.

_"Well, I'm not going to be actually singing up there, just mouthing the words."_ He smirked._ "And it's not like I actually speak anyway."_

"Point taken."

Kurt stepped forward and looked him up and down. "So, vhat do we call you now, oh-person-who-was-until-tonight-Madison?"

Rosie wrapped her arms around her "boyfriend" and answered for him. "Matthew."

"No last name?" Rogue wondered.

_"No last name,"_ Matthew repeated.

"Well, I must say, this is a very strange experience for me," Piotr admitted, smiling but still looking uncomfortable. "I'd never even heard of anything like this in Russia."

"Well, if you'd bothered looking at any man other than Logan since _you_ came out, you might have been to one of these already," Kitty teased. His face flushed red and he coughed, turning away to try and hide his embarrassment.

Suddenly there was another knock at the door and a voice called out, "Excuse me, Matt, but Shayda needs to see you. You're on first and she's freaking out."

They all turned to see a very convincing woman with browned skin and very thick dark brown hair, which was unbound save for a headband that pushed it up a little. She wore a blood-red waist cinch and a darker red, complicated-looking top under it that cascaded over tight red pants and stiletto sandals. The way the top fell exposed her shoulders, revealing a curious tattoo on her left arm. It was half of a male symbol cut diagonally from the tip of the arrow to the middle of the circle. Her makeup matched her clothes, just like Shayda's did, and she smiled at them in a way that let them know she knew she looked gorgeous.

_"Okay, I'll be right there."_ He turned and shrugged at them apologetically. _"See you later."_

"Yeah, good luck!" they all chimed in one way or another. Matthew kissed Rosie and headed out, passing the woman who still stood in the doorway.

She locked eyes with Rosie. "Fresh meat?"

"No, these are some of my friends. Meet Amara, Rogue, Remy, Kurt, Amanda, Piotr, and Kitty. Guys, this is Ophelia Up."

Though most of them tried to stifle their surprise at the name, both Remy and Kurt chortled, then burst out in full laughter when they looked at each other. Ophelia just smiled, which made the rest of them relax.

"Come on," she said. "It's a lot roomier in the hallway."

They followed her out and stood there for a moment, not knowing what to say, until finally someone thought of a topic of conversation. "So, how did you find out about all of this?" Amanda asked.

"I come to the bar a lot as a man, you know, and always wanted to try drag. When Shayda put up her flyers I decided to go for it. You only live once."

"Says you," Rosaline pointed out.

"Oh shush, we're not all weird like you are."

To that, Remy looked around them, but didn't say anything.

"Hey Ophelia!" someone yelled, drawing their attention to watch as another woman bolted up the hallway towards them.

She turned to greet her. "Des, what now? You shouldn't be running in those shoes."

"I know, but I think that Loveless whatever-the-fuck bitch stole my make-up kit. We need to go get it back from her." As the "woman" reached them, she stopped and bent forward a bit, theatrically catching her breath. She was taller than Ophelia, due mostly to large platform shoes; without those she looked like she'd be the same height. Her hair was bright red and cut at her shoulders, falling around pale skin and a face decorated with lots of eye shadow and long eyelashes with silver tips. She wore a light purple tank top with dark purple bell bottoms. On her right arm was a tattoo that looked like it was the other half of Ophelia's.

Frowning, the red-clad drag queen put her hands on her hips, making sure to display lots of attitude. "Why _we_?"

"Because she's got really, really long nails and I think I can take her better if we attack her from both sides, okay?"

She rolled her eyes. "Everyone, this is my sister, Des Demoner. Des, this is everyone."

"Hi," they managed to say in unison.

She smiled, parting purple lips to reveal unnaturally white teeth. "Hello. And hi Rosie. Where's your Matt?"

"With Shayda, hopefully," she answered.

"Good, we're on in ten," said the redhead. She then swiveled around to stare at her friend. "Which is exactly why we need to hit that bitch _now_. Are you going to help me or not?"

"Des, we have guests…sort of."

"Fine, I guess I'll have to find a new best friend then."

"Um, Des," Rosaline interrupted as she grabbed Amara gently and pulled her forward. "This is Tabitha's wife, Amara!"

"Tabitha…the one who isn't here yet?"

"Uh huh."

She smiled and stuck out her hand. "Pleased to meet you. Your wife is late and Adryen's having a seizure over it."

"Des Demoner!" Ophelia gasped. "Could you be any ruder?"

"Don't dare me," she grinned.

"Ah, pleased to meet you too," Amara mumbled, backing away in case the girls exploded.

Getting more curious than uncomfortable, Piotr jumped into the conversation. "So, if you allow…you are sisters?"

Des looked him up and down, then smirked seductively. "Well, tall dark and handsome, not exactly. We've just been friends so long we might as well be."

"Oh, so then…" Kitty ventured, "what's up with the matching tattoos?"

Ophelia giggled. "Oh, we've been best friends since we were teenagers and came out in high school. You know, birds of a feather flock together and all that."

"So when we got older, we decided one drunken evening to get these, like a mark of our friendship or something," Des finished.

"Uh huh….so, like, if you're so close why aren't you together?"

The two queens looked at each other and promptly burst into laughter.

"Oh honey," said Ophelia, "that's sweet, but for two drag queens to date most often results in death."

She blanched. "Um, oh."

A wicked grin crossed Des's purple lips. "Just look it up, sweetheart, its bound to be in some papers." She linked arms with her friend and dragged her down the hall without asking, waving to the group of them as they left. "Anyway, see you after the show, dears!"

They waved back, sharing very confused glances. Most of them felt like they had stumbled down a rabbit hole and wound up in a completely different world.

Moments later, Shayda hurried past, looking just as nervous as she had days before as a panicked gay man. "Have you guys seen Tabby? She was supposed to be here like three minutes ago, and she's the fourth to go on, so if she's gonna be late I need to tell the DJ and –"

"Cool it, girl, I'm here."

They all turned to look, and their jaws dropped.

The person walking towards them was recognizably Tabitha Smith, but also not. She had transformed, now a male figure in a pinstripe black suit and matching hat, a goatee gracing his chin topped with an amused and satisfied smile. His chest was flat and his pants bulged in the right place, and somehow, he looked severely less curvy than he was as a girl.

Amara flushed, looking from her "husband" to her friends. "Well," she said, "I have to admit it's the first time I've ever been attracted to a guy."

He laughed and pulled her close to kiss her.

"An' what are we supposed t'call you?" Remy asked.

"Tony Night," he answered, and gave them a sweeping bow.

Moments later they heard the sound of heels hurrying up the hallway and another woman came into view, who was even more shocking than anyone they had seen yet. She had long platinum blonde hair that hung loose over an angular face and slim body. She was clothed in a shirt and skirt that displayed various shades of orange and green, cheap jewelry and dorky-looking orange sneakers completing the outfit. Despite relatively passing for female, her shape still marked her as male, and they had to admit she hadn't done the best job.

Kurt barely stifled his laughter. "Um, Ray…hi."

Amanda put a hand on his shoulder and smiled at their friend. "You look nice."

"No I don't," she answered, "but that's okay. This is definitely a one-time deal."

Rogue asked, "So what are we supposed ta call ya?"

She grinned. "That's the best part. Drum roll, please."

Tony and Remy willingly supplied it as everyone else waited.

"…Connie Lingus."

While a few of them blushed, shocked at the crude name, most of them either stifled laughter or burst into full-fledged guffawing. Connie just kept grinning, looking very pleased with herself.

Wiping tears from her eyes, Kitty looked at their hostess and said, "Let me guess, your idea?"

Shayda smiled wickedly, which was all the answer they needed. But soon that grin turned into a panicked frown, and she grabbed Tony and Connie's arms. "Shit, it's almost time! Come on or we'll be late!"

"Well, if so," said Tony, spinning one of Shayda's nipple tassels, "I guess life's a drag."

"No, life IS drag," she corrected her. "That's what I have to go on, and it better be enough."

* * *

Moments later, (after they had managed to find Bobby, Jubilee, Ororo, and Hank, and elbowed their way to the front of the crowd) the lights in the club went down and the stage lights went up, upbeat techno music playing over the speakers. As it peaked, Shayda stepped out from the curtain that formed the stage's back wall, microphone in hand. She looked completely confident, a total 180 from what she had been only minutes earlier.

"Oh my stars and garters," said Hank, laughing.

"Why hello hello hello!" Shayda answered to the applause, laughing. "Welcome to The Rainbow Connection's first ever amateur drag show! I'm Shayda Bloo, your mistress of ceremonies, and let me tell you we have a lot of interesting and _hopefully_ talented guys and gals for your pleasure tonight. So let's get right to it, and prepare to be wowed, one way or another." She laughed again, "Now put your hands together for Matthew!"

As the applause started up she vanished through a hidden door in another wall, and another song started up. As people recognized the song, "Big Girl, You Are Beautiful" by Mika, many of the gay men in the audience started murmuring, making obviously catty comments to each other.

"Uh, what's going on?" Kitty asked.

"Gay men in general are not comfortable with weight," Rosie explained. She sounded annoyed, but she smiled anyway, watching with adoration as her love confidently strode onto the stage and people finally began cheering. "Des Demoner actually told me I should lose a few pounds when I met her earlier. I told her to shove it, and we get along great now. I just consider myself lucky that Adryen accepts my size and leaves me alone about it. I think we found the one size-positive gay man in existence. And you know," she blushed, "Maddy's really doing this song for me. I hope no one gives her trouble for it."

"Uh, I'm sure she'll be fine," the brunette replied, still confused.

The acts blended into each other and Shayda introduced each performer before they went on, occasionally adding a little humor. As Matthew performed and tips were given, mostly from the other appreciative fat girls in the audience, Rosie lay down on the stage and put hers in her mouth, which her "boyfriend" had to crouch down and pick up with his teeth. Surprised, but inspired, Amara decided to do the same thing when her "husband" came on, two unfamiliar acts later. He performed "Crush" by Darren Hayes, which only a few of them had heard. Then another queen performed a song they didn't recognize and the next did something popular by Cher. Shayda closed the set in a completely different outfit, this one very gothic-Christian-schoolgirl, "singing" and dancing to "Wicked Ways" by Garbage. Rogue was extremely pleased by this, and gave her some extra tips for it. Immediately after her act she announced a break in the program, after which a second set would start, and encouraged people to stick around for it.

"I'm going to go find Madison and Shayda, okay?" Rosie said, to which Amara said she'd follow, and the rest told them to find them later. As they ducked backstage, Bobby and Jubilee headed for the bar.

"A Yuengling and a White Russian, please!" Bobby shouted over the noise as the short, violet and spiky-haired bartender finally got to them. As she set to getting those, he turned and ruffled Jubilee's hair. "You know, the haircut looks good."

"I know," she grinned. "Glad you like it. I had to do _something_ to get you back."

"Hey, that's not why I took you back, and you know it."

She shrugged. "Hmm, well at least it distracted you enough from that Lorna girl. I guess her 'magnetism' wasn't enough for you."

"Har har har." He laid the money on the table and grabbed the drinks, giving the beer to her. "You think you're so cute."

"Oh I know I'm cute." She grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him down for a kiss, stopping short when she saw a familiar blue blur behind him.

"Huh?" Bobby turned around, looking surprised. "Hey, Warren!"

Also surprised, the blue-skinned angel smiled nervously at them as he placed his order. "Hello," he said afterward.

"We didn't think you were coming," Jubilee noted. "Last minute decision? Or did you want to avoid us after all?"

"Uh, sort of last minute." He turned to grab and pay for his drink, or drinks, and backed away. "Well, see you later."

They watched him as he wound his way through the crowd, people ducking to get out of the way of his wings, and eventually sat down at a table with a very familiar purple-haired girl.

"Ah, Betsy," Bobby mumbled. "Guess that's why he didn't come with us."

"I don't think Storm's gonna be happy about that."

"Yeah, but that's why we're not going to tell her."

"…Good point." In accord, they headed back to the stage area, where already Kurt, Amanda, Kitty, and Piotr had taken to dancing while Remy tried to get Rogue to, and Hank and Ororo watched.

* * *

Backstage, Rosaline and Amara were easily able to find Shayda by the sound of her voice. The hall was actually pretty quiet, due in part to the fact that she seemed to be giving a speech. On entering the room she was in, they saw her standing in front of the group of performers from the first set, Tony and Matthew included.

"…so, thank you so much for coming, and I'll be in contact with you about performing again, possibly in the next one of these we do." She turned and smiled at them, then turned back around to say goodbye to those performers who had to leave. Tony and Matthew walked towards them, grinning, and hugged them both.

"You were awesome," Amara said.

_"Thank you,"_ replied Matthew.

"I know," said Tony, and leaned in to kiss his wife fiercely. "Now come on, I want to get out of this."

Promising to be right back, they headed for the room Shayda had sent him to when he got here, where he promptly closed the door. Amara raised an eyebrow at him.

"Planning something mischievous?"

"Not this time, unfortunately." He started unbuttoning the jacket of his top and loosening his tie, then moved quickly onto his shirt.

She continued to watch, her eyes traveling over "his" body. "Hmm, doesn't look like it."

"Oh shush, we don't have time for that, though you know I wish we did and would take full advantage of it." He winked at her, then walked over to the mirror and took off his goatee, wiping off the rest of the make-up he had put on and becoming Tabitha again. "Now come here, I need help."

Curious, her royal love went to her and almost gasped at the sight. Tabby's breasts were bound flat against her chest with ace bandages, or something like them, in what appeared to be a painful way. She felt naïve, since it had worked but was so simple, and she hadn't thought of it.

"Doesn't that hurt?" she asked.

"Like hell," Tabby replied. "Though it was worth it. That was wicked fun. But I need to get out of this before I suffocate."

As instructed, Amara helped her, unhooking and unwinding until her wife was unbound. She leaned forward and kissed her, then set to getting dressed again, not bothering to put on a bra. Somehow the shirt and jacket still fit despite her "sudden growth." She left the tie on the vanity table, and unzipped her pants.

"Um, you sure we don't have time?" her wife pondered, blushing.

"Positive, otherwise I'd jump you in a heartbeat," she grinned. "I just need to get rid of a package." She reached into her panties, pulling out what caused the bulge there – a rolled up sock. Amara stared at it in further surprise, continuing to be annoyed that she hadn't thought of such simple disguises. Finally Tabitha zipped back up, applied some more feminine make-up to her eyes and lips, and tipped the hat jauntily back onto her head.

"Come on," she said, taking Amara's hand. "We'd better go find Madison and Rosie."

Outside, they knocked on the door to Madison's room, and she opened it still as Matthew. He had changed clothes to something more "chic," as Adryen would put it, but was still entirely in drag.

"Why didn't you change back?" Amara asked.

He smiled. _"You'll see."_

Rosie came out of the bathroom then, heading towards them, and gave her "boyfriend" a quick kiss. "See you out there," she smiled knowingly.

_"Of course."_ He looked at Tabitha, smirking. _"Try not to get in trouble."_

She looked innocently back at him. "Hey, what could –"

Her wife clamped a hand over her mouth, forbidding her from finishing the sentence. "Oh no you don't, every time you say that something bad _does_ happen!"

She shrugged in reply.

Rosie shook her head, kissed her love goodbye again, and ushered them back into the bar. Their friends hadn't left the area they were in previously, and leapt upon Tabby with praise as soon as they saw her. She ate it up like it was candy. Before the second set started both she and Rosie went to the bar to get drinks, hurrying back as the light dimmed again and the techno music started back up.

Shayda stepped onto the stage again, now in a pink replica of the outfit she had debuted in. "Why, hello again, dears!" she grinned. "Thank you all so very much for sticking around, I promise it will be well worth it…or at least entertaining in some way or another." She laughed along with the crowd at her own insult. "Anyway, I better not hog the spotlight anymore; I might soak it all up and deny it to our guests. Speaking of, please welcome our first of this final set of the evening, the lovely Des Demoner!"

As "Hey You" by Shakira started up, Shayda vanished the same way she had previously, only to be replaced by the redheaded queen they had met earlier. She had changed costumes, still wearing purple but now an elaborate dress that looked like it would spin as she moved. It did, and she performed well, getting more tips than anyone else had. Her act blended into the next, which was someone they hadn't met doing something by Kelly Clarkson that none of them could name. Connie Lingus came on after that, to less applause than the others even though she did a popular song by Pink and managed to not entirely butcher it. Feeling sorry for her, Tabitha copied Rosie and Amara by laying down on the stage to tip her, which almost made the queen fall over. Next on was another king they didn't recognize, performing something by the Gay Pimp, which went over very well. Ophelia finished the set, performing Evanescence's "Sweet Sacrifice" just as well as Des had done with hers.

But as everyone waited for Shayda to come out and announce that the event was over, she came over the loudspeaker instead and announced a surprise final act. The music changed again, starting a song no one seemed to recognize. As it got to the end of the intro, Tabitha recognized it.

"Oh, it's another Darren Hayes song!" she told everyone. "It's a rare one, called "All Around Me." I have a bootleg of it on my computer."

"Why didn't they tell us about this?" Ororo asked Rosaline amidst the applause.

"And why didn't _you_?" Rogue wondered.

She smiled. "They really wanted it to be a surprise. Madison promised Adryen she would do an act with him someday, way back when we were still in New York City, so the fact that they're finally doing it is a big deal to them. I promise it'll be worth it."

Seconds later both Matthew and Shayda emerged, wearing matching black and white costumes, and while he mouthed the majority of the lyrics she did the background voice, which was an amusing rendition of a New York society lady's. It looked like they had been working very hard on it and it paid off, ending the event on a high note. Even those who weren't enthused with Matthew's previous performance cheered loudly.

Done, a breathless Shayda grabbed the microphone again. "That ends our first annual amateur drag show, ladies and gents, or vice versa. Thank you so much for coming and supporting us, and please keep watch for our future events. Now, go somewhere else and enjoy yourselves, or, more importantly, enjoy someone else!"

People laughed and clapped as both of them bowed and escaped backstage again. Immediately Rosaline and the others followed, hearing Shayda give the same speech to the performers of the second set that she had to the first. That done, she turned to face them, giving quick hugs to all that wanted one. Matthew immediately wrapped his arms around Rosie. Connie just stood there, sighed with relief, and took of her wig to become Ray again.

"I've gotta get out of this," he admitted. "See you in the club?"

"See you in ze club," Kurt repeated, and the electric mutant left the room.

"That was, like, totally awesome!" said Kitty after he was gone. "You guys surprised us too."

"Well, we wanted to have some extra fun," Shayda explained. "These shoes are killing me though. I'm gonna change, then do you guys want to go get some food?"

"Sure," came the consensus.

As she went to leave, Rosie stopped her. "Just a sec," she said, "what was that about "first annual"?"

She grinned. "Well girl, you had a great idea. And if an event like this brings in that many people, I'll have it as often as I need to."

"You prob'ly shouldn't 'ave said 'annual' den," Remy observed.

"Hey, I had to tell them something. See you in a bit, dears." With that she spun around and headed for her dressing room.

Walking past with bags of their belongings in hand, Des and Ophelia patted Matthew and Tabitha on the back, giving their shoulders a squeeze. "Great job, boys," Ophelia smirked.

"_You too,"_ Matthew replied. _"Will we see you around?"_

"Most definitely," Des grinned, then linked arms with her sister again. "Later!"

As they headed out, Matthew turned to the group, suddenly looking tired. _"I need to change too. Meet us near the bar, okay?"_

"Okay," Amanda spoke for the group, and he and Rosie headed back towards the dressing room. They headed back into the club to wait, most of them leaning against the bar for support.

"That was…intense," Piotr said after a moment, and they all nodded.

"Hey, I had a great time," Tabitha replied. "Despite some discomfort, it's a cool thing to do. You should try it."

Kitty and Kurt looked at each other, then back at her, smiling nervously. "Uh, we'll just take your word for it," she said, and he nodded in agreement.

Ororo looked around at all the people leaving. "Well for one thing, I am impressed at how…realistic some of them looked. If I did not know they were cross dressing, I would have been fooled."

"Agreed," Hank added. "This was an enlightening experience."

"Do ya think Adryen's goin' ta get some new employees out o' this?" Rogue asked.

Jubilee thought for a moment, then nodded. "Most definitely."

A few minutes later Rosaline and Madison emerged from the stage door, both female again. Madison wore the outfit from her first performance, minus the facial hair, binding and suspenders, and looked much more comfortable. Soon after, the sound of more footsteps announced Ray's return, back in the jeans and shirt he had left in his dressing room, his make-up all wiped off.

"Much better," he said.

"I'll say," Bobby replied. "I'm sorry, man, but you make one ugly chick."

"Oh, agreed." He laughed. "But it was fun while it lasted."

Rogue and Remy turned to Madison and Rosaline. "So, did ya have fun too?" Rogue asked.

"_Yeah, I did,"_ the scarred woman replied. _"I don't know if I'll do it again though, I used up my confidence quota for a while."_

Rosie kissed her on the cheek. "I'll just have to give you some more then."

Remy looked her over, then turned to Tabitha, and grinned lecherously. "I must say, mon amis, you both look much betta as women."

Instinctively, both Rosaline and Amara grabbed onto their partners and glared at him, while Rogue smacked him on the arm and joined in the glaring. He laughed and wrapped his arms around her.

"Relax girls, I got all de woman I need righ' here."

Rogue smiled. "You better mean that."

He ran his left hand along her shoulder. "You know I do, chere."

The loud clicking of heels announced Adryen's arrival, and they all turned to greet him. Though he had slipped out of his guise as Shayda he still looked very androgynous, wearing some more subdued make-up and a tight corset that made him look feminine, even without boobs. He grinned, swinging his hips for full effect, and planted both hands on them as the group stared.

"What?" he demanded. "Are we ready to go?"

"Absolutely," Rosie said before anyone could interject, and they all headed out to their cars, meeting eventually at a nearby diner.

It took a while to get a table for a group their size, even though it was ridiculously late, but they put their orders in quickly once they sat down. Their waiter, a young man in his late teens, raised an eyebrow at Adryen's outfit, and Kurt and Hank's fur, but said nothing except niceties. That settled, they finally got to talking about the evening.

"So, is ze case of ze lack of employees solved?" Kurt asked, to which Amanda sighed, pretending she wasn't used to his cheesy statements.

"Most definitely," the blue-haired beauty grinned, and turned his head to address Tabitha and Madison. "Speaking of, I'd like to talk to you girls."

"_Oh?"_ Madison asked, already aware of what was coming.

He settled his elbows on the tables and tried to look charming. "You both did great tonight, and I'd like you to come back, hopefully as permanent additions to the show. What do you say?"

"I'd like to, but not permanently," Tabitha answered. She chuckled. "I don't think my chest can handle it. I might like to do it again, though, as a guest performer or something."

"Fair enough." He looked at Madison.

She sighed. _"I don't think I can take you up on that, Adryen. I had fun and the act we did together was great, but you know I don't like being in the spotlight. I'm sorry."_

"Okay," he replied. "You gotta do what you gotta do, even if I beg…which I'm not going to, for your information." He put on an exaggerated pout. "Still, balls. I was really hoping at least one of you would sign on."

"Did you not get enough offers without them?" Ororo asked.

"Well, I didn't get any offers because that's not how it works," he explained. "I'm going to ask the ones I liked back and offer them permanent jobs. Hopefully they'll all say yes."

"Who are ya goin' ta ask?" Rogue said.

He counted on his fingers as he listed names. "Definitely Ophelia and Des, who you met, Clive Idaho, he was the King who did the Gay Pimp song, Amber Tomorrow, who did Cher, and Leena Loveless, who did Kelly Clarkson."

"I remember her," Kitty piped up. "She was good."

"Uh huh. I really hope they all say yes. That'd make six of us, perfect for a full cast."

"Will that be enough for the whole weekend?" Amanda wondered, then backtracked, "Well, assuming you're going to put shows on all weekend."

He nodded. "That was the plan. Hopefully I can get more people to join so we won't be stretched so thin, but even so, I think it'll work out."

"Wow, you have optimism again," Rosie teased.

He winked. "Oh don't worry, it won't last."

Tabitha raised her glass. "Well, to the success of Adryen's Rainbow Connection!"

"And to drag, and gender ambiguity, in all its forms," Rosie added as they all joined her in the impromptu toast.

Moments later their food arrived, proving that there was something that could shut them up. The rest of the dinner flew by with bits of other conversation and more discussion about the individual acts, leading to more teasing of Ray and Bobby's accidental slip that Warren and Betsy had been there together. Unexpectedly, no one seemed to care, though they wondered which of the other students had snuck their way in. Through it all, Adryen smiled, thinking about the glory that he hoped would come; and Rosaline leaned comfortably into Madison, happy that her plan had worked out.

* * *

_Author's Notes:_

This is dedicated to a good friend of mine who I've grown apart from. He's a make-up artist and drag queen himself. He was part of the inspiration for Adryen in the first place, and he helped me come up with all those drag names long long ago when this fic was just a vague idea in my head. So this is for him. May you reach much success wherever you end up, Joelly.

Also, even though this story has been in the works (or at least in thought process) for a while, in its finished version it exists as part of this challenge. I think that works and still fits within the rules, as the only reason it got written was because the challenge inspired me to.

And sorry this was so long. There were just a lot of things I wanted to cover. Hope it was worth it :)


	14. Patience

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

* * *

Patience

Rosaline noticed the strange establishment only a few weeks after she and Madison settled in New York City. It was busy every night, surrounded by people of every gender imaginable taking smoke breaks on the sidewalk. Openly gay couples held hands and kissed without fear before going inside. She watched all this from their apartment window, imagining the safety and community the place might hold. She had never been to a gay bar before and couldn't wait to find out what it was like.

She was, however, still only sixteen, and Day wasn't around to charm their way in anymore. Her curiosity would have to wait two more years.

So she focused on getting her life and herself back in order, trying to ignore the place even though it was right down the street. Time passed eventually, and when Madison asked her what she wanted to do for her eighteenth birthday, she had an immediate answer.

That night they both got as dressed up as possible and headed over to join the line forming outside. It took about forty-five minutes to the get the door. They paid the cover charge while a stout, angry-looking bouncer checked their ID's. The cashier marked their hands with black X's, amusing Rosaline, and in they went.

It was smaller than she expected, but so bright in the darkness. Neon signs flashed every color of the rainbow, reflecting up to a ceiling dotted with tiny white lights masquerading as stars. The bar was packed against the far wall, patrons crossing the dance floor and passing the few tables to get to it.

"Come on!" Rosie exclaimed, pulling Madison into the crowd and close to her as she began to sway to the music. Madison obliged, since this was the happiest and most outgoing her girlfriend had appeared since her brother's death.

_"I thought you said you didn't dance much,"_ she noted, choosing to speak into her head alone.

"Well, I didn't use to," she whispered back, taking care that no one should see her 'talking to herself.' "But Day didn't like that of me. He knew, even though I didn't, that it was just because I was so unhappy. I want to change that. I want happiness in my life, so I'll give dancing a try; I mean _really_ dancing, not just being moved by music to embarrass myself."

_"I don't think you embarrassed yourself before, if I remember the story correctly. Didn't you say Tabitha couldn't take her eyes off you, and even joined you?"_

"Hmm." She twirled around and pulled close again, ducking out of the way of a rather energetic trio beside them. Her arms found their way around the scarred woman's neck and she leaned up to kiss her. "…That was a long time ago."

_"Only a couple of years, love, if even that."_

"Seems longer."

The music changed to something more romantic, so they slowed down and stood there holding each other. About half the dance floor emptied, leaving only couples, and the extra space made them both more comfortable. After a few minutes, Rosaline turned her head so she was speaking against Madison's neck and said, "…Thank you."

_"For what?"_

"For being so patient with me.'

She looked down at the short blonde, confused. _"What do you mean?"_

"Well, I know it's been a rough two years, and I haven't been the easiest person to live with. We didn't have an easy time getting settled here, either. Because of me you've had to up and move yourself across states twice, and it was really last minute both times. We still didn't really know each other that well when you made that decision, and though I know I was already falling in love with you then, you could have easily stayed at the mansion and probably lived a more peaceful life there. And even though running here helped, I know I've still been lost in my grief. That couldn't have been easy for you, but somehow you came to love me anyway, despite everything. So, thank you." She tilted her head upward, smiling, and met her eyes. "It means everything to me that I'm yours."

_"Rosie…if you knew how much I love you, you'd know that there is no other life for me than one by your side. I don't think I'm anything special, so I'm grateful and bewildered every day that you chose me, and love me."_ She wrapped her arms tighter around her lover's thick waist, leaning down until their faces were so close she could taste her breath. _"But sometimes you talk too much."_ Then she gently pressed her lips to hers.

"You _are_ special," Rosaline said against her mouth, but quickly gave herself up to the kiss. They stopped dancing, lost in the moment, not even noticing as the song ended and the space around them began filling up again.

However, one of the other clubbers bumped into them as the beat quickened, breaking their contact. The plant witch looked around to glare angrily at them, but it was impossible to tell who had done it in the massive crowd. Madison just laughed and took her hand.

_"Come on, let's sit down and get something to drink."_

* * *

_Author's notes:_ There will be three sequels to this, each dealing with its own prompt, obviously. And all this will explain how Rosie and Maddy met a certain someone who follows them and tends to cause gender-ambiguous chaos.


	15. Anger

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

* * *

Anger

(Sequel to "Patience")

They were lucky to find a table, grabbing it as a small group of leather-clad women were leaving. Rosaline slid comfortably into a chair, but Madison continued to stand. _"You wait here; I'll get us some sodas."_

"But won't the bartender notice something?" her girlfriend asked, tapping her forehead meaningfully.

_"I think its crazy enough in here that they won't," _she replied, then leaned in for another quick kiss before heading to the bar.

There was a wait, as everyone seemed to be clamoring for drinks, but eventually the bartender turned to her. He was a rake-thin man dressed in tight clothes with too much mousse in his blonde-tipped hair. He eyed her many scars with distaste, covering the emotion with a fake smile as she shouted, "Can I help you?"

As she spoke, ordering two root beers, she moved her lips as if her voice were coming out o her mouth and didn't filter the telepathic speech, so those nearby would "hear" her too. The bartender looked confused, but quickly got her order without comment. Other people stared at her, but she couldn't be sure if they suspected her power or were disturbed by her blemished appearance. She paid and thanked him as he slid the glasses toward her, then picked them up and moved to go back to the table where Rosaline waited.

One man refused to shift out of her way, and as she elbowed past him she heard him mutter, "Mutie _freak_."

Angry, she turned back around, staring into his hate-filled eyes. He was tall, and flanked by a smaller man and shrewish woman. They all looked at her with disgust. Without thinking she reached into his mind, gaining control with little effort. He had a half-full martini glass in his hand, so she made him grab his female friend's shirt and dump its contents down her cleavage. She shrieked, then he dropped the glass on the floor, stomped on it, and drove his foot against his male friend's toes with impressive force. As they both turned on him, Madison let go of her hold on his mind and headed back to her girlfriend.

Rosie was looking in her direction with concern and worry on her face. But as she approached, she realized that her gaze was fixed on something behind her. She whirled around, preparing to use her power again.

Instead of one of the prejudiced jerks she had just dealt with, a very strange-looking person hovered over her. He was only a few inches taller than she was, and though she assumed he was male, he looked and dressed very androgynously. His hair curled to his shoulders and was shockingly bright blue, as were his eyebrows. The shades of pink in his clothes only made the color more noticeable. His skin was a warm light brown, some of it covered by make-up that matched his outfit. As she noticed him, he studied her curiously with dark brown eyes and an amused smirk.

"_What do you want?"_ she demanded.

"Oh, nothing much, honey," he said. "How come you talk with you mind instead of your mouth?"

Rosaline had gotten up and joined them, standing defensively beside her love. "Who are you to ask her that?" she questioned.

He put his hands on his narrow hips. "Nobody, but I heard her in my head at the bar and saw those idiots insult her, so I was interested."

"Funny, you don't look like you're into girls," she shot back.

"_Um, guys…"_

They looked over at Madison, then followed her gaze beyond them, immediately noticing a familiar trio that was shoving their way through the crowd in their direction. They all had deep scowls on their faces and looked very determined about something.

"I think this would be a great time to run away," the strange man suggested.

Her desire to stay overcoming her dislike of combat, Rosaline scanned the room for any plant life. She found none, and sighed with frustration. "My poor birthday."

"Oh happy birthday!" he exclaimed, turning back to her. "…Uh, what was your name?"

Madison put the drinks down on the nearest table, ignoring the objection of the patrons sitting there, and grabbed both of them by the arms. _"We don't have time for that. I think we need to leave."_

"I live a few blocks from here," he offered.

"But we live right across the street!" Rosie protested.

"And if you go there, _they'll_ know that."

"_Point taken."_

The blue-haired man took this as permission and led the way as they fled the bar.


	16. Whew

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

* * *

Whew

(Sequel to "Anger")

Their unexpected ally led them down a few alleys and side streets before looping back around and heading in what he assured them was the right direction. None of them looked back to see if they were actually being followed, but by the time they reached his apartment, it was clear that they had either lost the angry trio or that they hadn't followed them at all.

"Well that was close," he sighed with relief, closing the door behind them.

"But they might not have even followed us," Rosie sadly noted. "And in that case, my birthday is ruined for nothing."

"_Its not ruined, love,"_ Madison said, trying to reassure her. _"Maybe we can go back later and see if they've gone."_

She pouted. "…Maybe."

The place was small; just a living room, one tiny bedroom, a kitchen, and one bathroom with a narrow stand-up shower instead of a tub. Muffled noise came up through the vents from the restaurant below. The furnishings were sparse, but he had a comfy-looking couch and the articles of brightly-colored women's clothing that were strewn about every room gave life to the space despite the clutter.

"Sit down," the man smiled, gesturing widely to the couch as he headed toward the kitchen. "I have booze here, I'll make us some drinks."

"Um, I just turned eighteen, and Maddy's only twenty," she short, plump woman mentioned as she and her girlfriend sank into the soft cushions.

He set about retrieving glasses from the cupboards and bottles from the fridge, dismissing her words with a wave of his hand. "We're all old enough to be sent to war, hun, and if you were boys and they knew you're mutants they'd have already sent you there."

"_Who says we're mutants?"_

"Please, you spoke into my head and that big dumb asshole certainly didn't violate his friends because_ he_ wanted to. So you're either 'the next stage in evolution' or a very involved science project." He returned, carrying three drinks between his hands, and set them on the weathered coffee table in front of them. "Bon appétit."

"What is it?"

"Rum and coke. I wish I could offer better, but I'm a little low on cash right now."

"_No, this is more than enough. Thank you."_ Her marked hands reached out to take two of the glasses, handing one to the woman beside her. _"We don't even know your name yet."_

"I'm Adryen," he grinned. "And you're Maddy?"

"_Madison."_

"Okay, Madison. And," he turned to her companion, "you are?"

"Rosaline," she answered. "But you can call me Rosie."

"All right Rosie." He took a long draft of his drink, leaving only half of it behind. "So what can you guys do?"

"_Well, you've mostly figured me out. I speak telepathically and I can control the minds, and thus the actions, of others. I also get visions of the future, on occasion."_

He nodded, staring at her. It was obvious that he wanted to ask about the scars, but he kept his mouth shut, and she didn't volunteer any more information. After a moment he focused his attention on Rosaline, eyebrows raised in question.

"I can control plants," she said simply, sipping at her drink. "You know, make them grow and reach into their consciousness to see if anything's wrong with them…and your eyebrows are blue."

"Huh?"

She leaned forward. "They are! If you dyed you hair, they'd still be your natural hair color, right? They wouldn't match. But yours do."

"_That's right,"_ Madison noticed. _"I used to dye mine a darker blue than that, and though my hair's dark enough that it wasn't that obvious, if you looked closely you could tell my hair was dark brown because of my eyebrows. So that means…"_

He blushed. "Um, yeah. I was born with it."

"_Do you have any other powers?"_

The blush deepened. "No, this is all I've got. Pretty lame mutation, isn't it?"

She shook her head. _"No. I wish sometimes that mine wasn't so useful. I wouldn't feel so obligated to help people with it."_

Rosie reached over and squeezed her hand. "But Maddy, if it wasn't, you might not even be _alive_, much less have found me."

Adryen almost choked on his drink. "Um, what?"

Madison sighed. _"It's a long story."_

"Oh I think we all have time." He set his empty glass down on the table and sat back, his eyes filled with a childish wonder. "Tell me?"

She was surprised to find that even though they didn't know him at all, she didn't mind sharing her life with him. _"Well, all right. My mother died when I was just a baby, and my father wasn't what you'd call "fatherly"…"_

Rosie kept holding her hand, knowing how difficult this was for her. She realized that they probably weren't going to get back to the bar, but was glad to find that she was happy where she was.


	17. Innocence

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

* * *

Innocence

(Sequel to "Whew")

Rosaline and Madison stayed at Adryen's apartment until the very early morning, sharing stories of their lives until they felt like they had known each other for years. As the hours passed, the scarred young woman surprised them both by falling asleep, her head in her girlfriend's lap and the rest of her body sprawled across the couch.

"She must feel really safe here," Rosie said quietly, running her fingers through her love's short brown hair.

"She's been through so much," Adryen mused. "More than I could have imagined. I wouldn't have made her tell me if I'd known."

"I don't think she minded."

"Still, I can't believe she can deal with it all, you know, without intense therapy."

She nodded her head slowly. "Well, that childhood innocence we're supposed to have…she never had it. I mean, even if you parents are neglectful or other kids are mean or whatever, most kids still have that innocent awe of life, at least for a while. Her father hurt her from the moment she was born, so she never expected any better." Her expression turned dark. "If she hadn't killed him when her power manifested, I would kill him myself for all the pain he's caused her."

Adryen was surprised to find that despite her kind personality, Rosaline really meant what she said. He cleared his throat and changed the subject, uncomfortable with such violent devotion, even though a part of him envied it.


	18. Beauty

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

* * *

Beauty

Rosaline knew that even though her parents thought they needed her, dealing with Day's death in Salem would be even worse than if she had stayed in Bayville. On the car ride there, through scribbled notes, she shared this with Madison and they decided to run away together. Madison suggested New York City, since it was an easy place to lose oneself, and Rosie agreed. It would have been very romantic if they didn't need to worry about certain things, like where they would live and how they would eat. Still, she knew it would be better than staying home. So soon after they arrived, under the pretense of showing Madison the sights, the two of them went to the bank, emptied Rosaline's savings account, consolidated all the loose money Madison had in her backpack into bigger bills, and bought two bus tickets to the Big Apple for the very early morning after the second funeral. Then they waited, dealing with all the arrangements and mourning until the time came.

That night, Madison waited to move until she was sure the Jacksons were asleep. Around 2 a.m. she got up and dressed quickly, stuffed her few belongings back into her backpack, and headed silently down the hallway to her girlfriend's room. Rosie was still preparing; a sealed letter to her parents lay on her pillow just inches away from her open, empty suitcase. She smiled as the scarred girl entered and bent down in front of her dresser, pulling open the very bottom drawer. She took out its entire contents; various articles of clothing - skirts, shirts, underwear, bras - that were several sizes too big for the body she had. Almost reverently she placed each one into the suitcase, then turned to face Madison, sadness in her eyes.

"_Rosie…?"_

"Day told you what I used to look like, right?"

She nodded.

"Well, these are what I wore before…everything." She looked down at the neat piles, trailing her hands over the brightly-colored fabrics. "I'm not that much taller than I was then, and I like pretty much the same styles, so they'll do until I can afford to buy new clothes. Cause if I do start feeling better, being happy…I know I will gain weight." Her gaze returned to the other young woman, who stood silently watching her. " Does that bother you?"

"_Of course not."_

She reached over and grabbed a photograph that had been lying flat and hidden on top of the dresser and crossed the room, pressing it into her companion's hand. "Are you sure?" she asked quietly, trying to disguise the fear in her voice as tears threatened to spill down her cheeks.

Madison looked at it closely. It showed Rosaline a couple of years younger and many pounds heavier. She looked happy, more confident in herself than the girl she had come to know. That in itself was beautiful, but the weight also looked good on her. This was her real form, untouched by the self-hatred she learned when people began telling her that her "differences" were wrong. Madison raised her eyes to meet the emotional grey ones she adored, then reached out and wrapped her arms around the smaller girl, holding her tightly.

"_You are, and were, _gorgeous_, Rosie. And I am so completely in love with you."_

Rosaline relaxed into the embrace and let herself cry. "Goddess, Maddy, I love you too."

Pulling back slightly, Madison wiped the tears from her girlfriend's face and leaned in to kiss her. A few moments later they drew apart and Rosie continued packing, filling up the rest of the space in her suitcase with clothes that currently fit her and various items she didn't want to leave behind. Finally she struggled to shut it, and Madison offered her help, both of them working together to get the stubborn zipper around its rectangular track.

With effort, Rosaline lifted it off of her bed and took Madison's hand in her own. "Let's go, love."


	19. Self Love

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

Self Love

* * *

Madison James had done terrible things. She killed her father, though it was in self-defense, when she was only a child. She stole, surviving on the money and goods she took from innocent others as she ran from her past. She murdered three men in rage-fueled vengeance for their crime of killing a friend. What had been done to her was unforgiveable, but she still felt guilty for the actions it had pushed her to. Before Rosie, she was nearly convinced she was not worthy of life. Then slowly, the strange and beautiful girl showed her through her love that she might just be beautiful, and lovable, after all.

She wasn't convinced, however, until the third day they spent in New York City. It was their first night in the apartment they had somehow managed to find, and they lay curled up together on the bed that came with it, listening to the noise of the traffic below. Among her many scars, there was one on her face that was thicker than the others around it, from a night her father had been particularly cruel. It started below her left eye and curved jaggedly toward the corner of her mouth. She had been drifting in and out o thought when she felt her girlfriend reach up and touch her face. It took her a moment to realize that she was tracing, very slowly, the whole line of that scar.

"You know," Rosie said, "this one kinda looks like California backwards."

Madison was shocked to hear herself laugh at the comparison. She realized, then, that she might be able to love herself as she was becoming, regardless of who she had been.


	20. Romance

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

* * *

Romance

Rosaline and Madison had been taking a walk though Central Park, crossing one of the bridges over another path, when Rosie stopped and leaned on the railing, her attention on something in the distance. She sighed, and Madison followed her gaze to a group of people far off on the path below them. It was clearly a wedding procession, elaborately designed to look like a fairy tale. Confused, the scarred mutant joined her girlfriend at the edge of the bridge.

_"I didn't know you were into that kind of thing," _she said.

"What, weddings?"

_"No, the whole princess and castles and dragons and rescue bit."_

"Well, not exactly. I grew up reading fairy tales and watching fairy tale movies, so I guess as a child I came to expect something like that for myself," she explained, blushing.

Madison chuckled. _"So you've been waiting for Prince Charming?"_

"No," Rosie replied, reaching over to take her love's hand. "Prin_cess_."


	21. Night

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

* * *

Night

When Rosaline and Madison finally moved into their townhouse, and every year thereafter, they made it a tradition that every October 31st at midnight they would do ritual to celebrate the Pagan new year, Samhain, and honor the dead.

However, the night started before then, bringing out costumed children who sought candy from strangers in the secular version of their holy day. So Rosaline created an additional tradition to fill the hours until the trick-or-treaters left them alone to prepare.

Madison just watched as her Rosie answered the door again and again in stereotypical witch garb – pointy black hat, long black dress, black corset, green striped stockings, black silver-buckled shoes – and handed out sweets to little ghouls and goblins. She didn't think reinforcing that image necessarily benefitted the Pagans of the world…..but she had to admit that her love looked adorable, and rather sexy in the corset.


	22. Mine

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

Also, this takes place during the Epilogue of "Triangle." If you've read it, you'll know when I mean.

* * *

Mine

Although playing Frisbee with Amara and Adryen was very engaging, Madison couldn't help but steal glances at Rosie and Tabitha as the two of them sat and caught up on the past five years. She felt totally secure in her relationship with her kind and beautiful love, after all they had been through together, and they had no secrets between them. But she knew about the attraction that had existed between Rosaline and Tabby so long ago, and even though it seemed to have diminished when Amara claimed the bombshell as her own, she found herself worrying.

Later, as they followed their friends to the dining room for supper, she held her girlfriend's hand a little tighter than usual. The plant witch noticed this but said nothing, waiting for a distraction. Eventually Adryen began a lengthy description of gay male culture to the unfortunate couple that had asked, and Rosie slowed her pace, expecting that Madison would match her speed. She did, looking down at her in confusion.

"Are you all right, honey?" she whispered.

_"Of course,"_ she lied.

"You're not uncomfortable being back here or anything?"

_"No."_

"Then how come you're squeezing my hand like I'm going to run off and leave you here alone?"

She stopped walking and sighed. _"I'm just…oh never mind, love, its nothing."_

Rosie glanced down the hallway at Adryen, Tabitha and Amara, who had also stopped and were looking back at them in puzzlement. "We'll catch up!" she shouted, and they slowly continued on their way. She turned back to Madison then, who still firmly held her hand. "Maddy, really, what's wrong?"

She bit her lip. _"Its really nothing. I know it is. I trust you and I know you love me but I get a little nervous at how happy you are to see her again."_

"Excuse me?"

_"Tabitha."_

The short woman smiled awkwardly, eyebrows raised in disbelief. "Hun, you must be joking."

She just shrugged.

Rosie leaned up to kiss her on the cheek. "You know you have nothing to worry about. That was lifetimes ago."

_"I know, but the stories you told me about how you felt, and what might have happened…"_

She shook her head, causing her blonde curls to dance about her face. "But it didn't, and its never going to happen. Besides, it probably wasn't even real."

_"What do you mean?"_

"Well, I think when there are two girls in high school who are both attracted to girls, and are the only girls-who-like-girls they know, they are 'attracted,'" she said, making air quotes with her fingers, "to each other because there are no other options. Like girl-who-likes-girls-A says to girl-who-likes-girls-B, 'hey, I like girls, and you like girls, and there's no other girls around here who like girls, let's date!' I think that's what happened with me and Tabby. I was the first out lesbian here, so her attraction to me was probably based on that."

Relief filled Madison's scarred features. _"So you weren't really attracted to her either?"_

Rosaline blushed. "Um, I actually was. I liked Tabby before I knew whether or not she liked women."

_"…Oh"_

"But that was then, love," she said quickly, wrapping her arms around her. "I'm not attracted to her anymore. How could I want anyone else now that I have you?"

Madison turned pink to match the short woman's face. _"Oh stop that."_

She just giggled and kissed her neck. "…You _know _you have my heart, don't you?"

Relaxing with a heavy sigh, Madison hugged Rosie tight to her chest. _"I know. I'm sorry I got…"_

"Jealous?"

_"I was not jealous,"_ she insisted. _"I was just concerned."_

"Uh huh," Rosaline replied, and kissed her, feeling just a little bit pleased that she was someone worth that emotion.


	23. Need

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

* * *

Need

The first time Rosaline and Madison had sex, Rosie threw herself into it with a reckless abandon. It happened a few months into their stay in New York, and though they had talked about it before and almost done it a few times, the plant witch wasn't ready until then. Madison, who loved and respected her, understood and waited patiently even though she longed to share herself fully with her. Then one day, without warning, what started as an innocent kiss became more as Rosaline pressed herself into the act. She was almost aggressive, desperation filling her every touch and breath and sound.

Madison knew that being like this was something of need for the young woman. What had been done to her because of her sexuality, what had almost been violated, tainted the pleasure in such physical acts. It was almost as if what she would find between the sheets, limbs entwined with her love's scarred ones, would redeem those past events. So she too gave herself into it fully, as she would have done regardless.

All the times after that were gentler, full only of love and the two of them exploring each other. There were still moments when Rosie would become distant, remembering, and shy away from lust. But most days from then on she let herself forget and just be, with all of her desires.


	24. Want

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

* * *

Want

"She's _totally_ adorable," Rosaline cooed as she held the tiny baby in her arms. Kurt and Amanda, standing nearby, smiled and thanked her. Amanda, looking tired from the long August labor, clearly wanted her daughter back in her arms but let her friends gush over the child anyway; after all, most of them hadn't been able to visit her while she was still in the infirmary.

Madison watched while her girlfriend slowly rocked the baby back and forth. Her yellow-clad body was covered in blue fur, like her father's, but of a lighter shade. She had the same prehensile tail, with a rounder tip, and only three digits on each hand and foot. Her hair was a dark blue, but her eyes were all her mother's – large and brown.

_"What's her name?"_ she asked.

"Sunila," Kurt replied, grinning. "But ve're going to call her Sunny for short."

"That's beautiful," Rosie sighed, entranced.

It was then that Madison realized that her lovely partner wanted to have children. They had never talked about it, and she'd never actually seen her interact with a baby before, but she could tell now that this was a part of what Rosie wanted for the future. Half of her was scared and worried; that somehow she would end up hurting this theoretical child of theirs. The other half wondered, hopefully, if she could be a good mother.

"Here," Rosie said, jarring her out of her reverie as she held the baby out to her. "Mind her head."

Stunned, Madison let the short woman put Sunila in her arms. She stared down at her, awed. _She's going to scream,_ she thought. _Any moment now._ …Except, she didn't. The tiny, fuzzy child just leaned into her chest and yawned, making the adults around her utter praise for her cuteness. Madison also realized, then, that she might not mind having a baby after all.

Unsure of how comfortable she was with this news about herself, she turned to the nearest person – Remy – and held Sunila out to him. _"Your turn."_

He took the baby from her with practiced ease, and though she looked surprised, she didn't cry at him either. Rogue leaned over and stroked her head, smiling.

"Who would 'ave thought I'd 'ave such a well-behaved niece?" the Cajun mused.

Amanda gasped, and Kurt said "Vot?!" Everyone's eyes turned to Remy and Rogue, who glared daggers at her assumed-boyfriend-not-husband.

He grinned awkwardly. "Um, whoops?"

She sighed in exasperation, but smiled as she turned to the group of her family and friends, slowly pulling the glove off her left hand to reveal a silver wedding band. "Sorry y'all. Ah wanted to keep it secret for a while."

Kurt and Kitty set to scolding her for not telling them, in stereo, at once, while everyone else congratulated them. Rosie just laughed, sure that this would make an interesting story for Sunila once she was old enough to understand it.


	25. Dreams

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

_Also_ – the lyrics in this are from the song "Welcome" by BoA, a band I imagine Madison likes a lot. I highly recommend looking them up.

* * *

Dreams

"_All your hopes inside are lonesome_

_Without me, inside of you._

_I feel the world calling – _

_I will wait for you._

_Oh, how you are dear to me._

_If you knew this,_

_You would see, this is the truth…"_

She paused in time for breath - though she didn't have to - lost in the song as she sang along and made herself a sandwich.

"_You would be welcome in my dreams, you would be welcome…"_

A very quiet giggle from the doorway interrupted her, and she turned around, flushing pink. The song continued alone on the stereo as Rosaline smiled lovingly at her girlfriend.

"_Um, ah, you're home early,"_ Madison stammered.

Rosie put her keys down on the end table and crossed the living room to join her in the kitchen, then wrapped her arms around her and stood on tiptoes to plant a kiss on her nose.

"You are so cute."


	26. Water

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

* * *

Water

Madison let out an involuntary sigh as the warm water trickled down her back, and Rosaline smiled. She shifted her position in the full tub, leaning forward to rest against her love's scarred body.

"See?" she said. "Didn't I say this would be a great was to relax those sore muscles?"

_"Hmm."_

"Well, one of these days I _will_ teach you to like baths."

_"They're not exactly practical. And showers are faster."_

"But there's no way a shower would feel as good as this, especially after subbing for Tabby's Power Control class. In the Danger Room. Which you'd never been in before."

Madison shrugged. Rosie sat back up, kissed her head, and lifted the sponge again to drip more water over her lover's spine.


	27. Sharing

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

* * *

Sharing (writer's choice)

Rosaline was getting ready to leave the mansion for the day, her gardening work done, when she saw Rogue coming down the hall toward her. She was dressed in her X-men uniform and looked very tired, her hair all windswept from whatever big bad she had confronted. This in itself was not an unusual sight. The plant witch was surprised, however, to note an addition to her friend's costume – a long brown trench coat, identical to the one a certain Cajun liked to wear.

"Hi," she called as soon as the southern belle was close enough to hear her.

"Hey there." Rogue stopped, bracing her arms against the small of her back, and smiled through her exhaustion. "You goin' home?"

"Uh huh. Looks like your workday's over too."

She nodded. "The Professor sent me out ta investigate a 'rogue mutant' in New Jersey, but the Freedom Force got there first."

Rosie frowned. "I'm sorry."

Rogue shrugged. "Ah don' wanna talk 'bout it, actually. Hope you don' mind."

"Oh I understand. My job's not exactly hectic, but there are some days that Madison comes home from classes so frustrated she'll refuse to tell me what happened. So I can imagine, I mean."

The untouchable woman grinned gratefully, then looked down the hall, unconsciously tugging on the sleeve of her coat.

"Isn't that Gambit's?" Rosie asked.

"Yeah," Rogue sighed. "He's gone for the rest o' the week – dealin' with family stuff down in New Orleans – so Ah made him leave it as collateral."

She smirked. "You don't think he'd come back for you?"

"Oh Ah know he would." She chuckled. "Ah just wanted ta prove a point. Plus, it's pretty comfy. Even if it is a little long on me."

"Well, I think sometimes your significant other's clothes are more comfortable than your own."

"'Comfort' is right." She stifled a yawn. "Anyway, Ah'm gonna grab somethin' ta eat before Ah collapse. See ya later, Rosie."

"Sure. Goodnight Rogue."

As they parted ways and Rosaline began the relatively short walk home, she looked down at her feet and wriggled her toes; smiling as she imagined her girlfriend's socks hidden there beneath her boots.


	28. Boundaries

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

* * *

Boundaries (writer's choice)

"Mind if I sit here?"

Rosaline looked up from her aisle seat as the doors hissed shut and the bus pulled back into traffic. A very tall, dark haired, grey-clad man loomed over her, smiling with unnaturally white teeth.

She smiled back nervously and slid towards the window. "Of course."

They rode in silence for a while, Rosie filling out the papers on her lap and ignoring all else.

"Are you new around here?" the man suddenly asked.

"Excuse me?"

He pointed at the papers. "Change of address, and you don't sound like a New Yorker, miss."

"Oh, um, yes I am," she answered, uncomfortable that he was pushing personal boundaries. "I grew up in Salem."

"Massachusetts?"

"Yeah."

"I have a cousin who lives near there," he said. "Me, I'm a New Yorker, born and bred. Haven't even left, except for periods of service."

"Service?" she repeated, against her better judgment.

He nodded. "I'm a soldier. In the army."

"Oh."

He smiled again. "Would you like to join?"

Taken by surprise, Rosaline stammered, managing to squeak out "No" after too many moments had passed.

"We're told that even though not every soldier is an official recruiter, we're expected to ask people anyway, Miss Rosaline."

She nodded back weakly and folded the papers she held, shoving them into her purse unfinished. "I see."

"So, do you have family around here?"

Becoming defensive, she replied, "Well, I consider my _girlfriend_, who I live with and who's very tough, my family. So yes."

The awkwardly friendly expression on his face faded, and he looked her over, considering her again. "Hmm. Well, I hope your roommate is family enough then. This can be a lonely city."

She opened her mouth to reply, not knowing what she was going to say. However, the bus itself silenced her as it skidded to a halt, jolting them both forward. The man stood up, dipped his head at her, and headed down the aisle.

She stared after him, watching through the window as he faded safely into the distance.


	29. Faith

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

* * *

Faith

Madison's, Rosaline's and Adryen's days off did not often coincide. When they did, however, the three of them made a point of spending those days in each other's company. After three years in New York City, Adryen was still the only good friend the couple had made, and they greatly valued that friendship. So when he called one afternoon, shortly after they had "weirded him out" by telling him they were Pagan, they eagerly agreed to meet him for a picnic in Central Park.

After they'd finished the last of the hot dogs and almost-too-greasy fries, the blue haired queen lay back on the table, staring up at the sky through the leaves overhead.

"You know, girls," he said, "I don't know how you do it."

_"What do you mean?"_ asked Madison, who sat on the bench near his feet.

"Well, life is hard enough, but by society's rules you are four-times-cursed," he explained, then began to count off each item on his fingers. "Mutant, gay, female, and Wiccan."

_"I wouldn't exactly put it that way. And you're a gay mutant too, you know."_

"Well yeah, and yes, but they're all things this freakish world does not like, and you have more of them. And I know it's hard to exist as a non-Christian here; just look at the whole month of December! Plus, this world is not kind to the vagina crowd."

Rosie, sitting below them in the grass, snorted. "The vagina crowd?"

He grinned down at her.

She sighed, making the grass dance around her bare toes as she spoke again. "I would actually add 'fat' to _my_ list. I'd almost forgotten how cruel America is to its bigger citizens. I do like myself better the size I am now, but I get what you mean."

He nodded. "So yeah, I think it must be hard for you. Harder than I thought, anyway. I'm…sorry, I mean, that I freaked out about it."

_"You didn't 'freak,'"_ Madison replied. _"But thanks."_

"Besides," Rosie added, "you're being great about it now. Did you look it up some more?"

"I did. Thank god for the internet."

She giggled. "And you promise never to ask us if we're 'witches like Willow' again?"

"I swear on my pointiest shoes, my darlings."

Madison chuckled. _"Good."_

A few moments passed, then Rosie casually said, "I don't think they're really curses, you know."

"What?"

She craned her neck to look up at them. "Even though other people might think these aspects of us are bad, they've taught me important things and made me a better person."

Adryen quirked a blue eyebrow. "I don't follow."

Rosaline turned herself around so she could see him better, a serious but pleased expression on her face. "I like being a woman, mostly because it makes me feel closer to the earth. I know that sounds sexist, but it's how I feel, so that's that. I like being a lesbian because I get to appreciate other women, specifically my beautiful Maddy." She smiled up at the scarred woman, who smiled lovingly back at her, then turned to him again. "It's also taught me to be more sensitive to other people who are considered different or abnormal, since I have to be 'tolerated' on many levels."

"Oh I hate that word."

_"Me too."_

"I know," she frowned, "but you know what I mean. Anyway, why I like being a mutant ties into that too, obviously. And I couldn't imagine my life without the bond I have with plants. I like being a bigger girl because I feel more confident, more solid and secure in myself, this way – again, more earthy, I guess. I was also miserable and objectified when I finally got thin, and I never want to feel that way again. Being like this has taught me to love myself without having to conform to the ideas of others. And as for my faith, I like being Wiccan because through my religion I respect and acknowledge the power of nature, and seeing myself reflected in the image of my deity is important to me. The nature of deity in Wicca can relate to anyone – the All can be God, Goddess, both, or neither, any race, any shape. Anything. It shows we're all connected, and reminds me of that, which gives me more faith in people, too."

"…Even when they're bigoted and cruel?"

She smiled. "Well…I _try_ to let it remind me, then. But it works most of the time."

"Well, I guess it sounds like a good approach," Adryen said.

"Are you thinking of trying it?" Madison teasingly asked.

He smirked. "Nah, I'm comfortable in my lazy Catholicism."

Rosie laughed at him, and tossed a leaf up at his feet.


	30. Life

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

* * *

Life

"Well, I just don't approve of that lifestyle."

Rosaline almost choked on her food. She was having lunch with some of her co-workers, including a newcomer named Lisa. Lisa had only been working at the bookstore for 1 week and 3 days, replacing Rosie as "the new girl." She didn't seem very religious, liked stocking the cheesy romance novels, and this was her first job in the city. Nobody new much about her other than that, which is why Bruce had insisted they all have lunch together that day.

In the few months since she had started working there, Rosie herself hadn't gone out of her way to share much about her personal life or spend extra time with her fellow employees. As such, she hadn't been paying that much attention to what they were talking about. Now, jarred out of her own thoughts by that phrase, she was paying attention indeed. To her horror and despite disagreement from the others, Lisa went on about how the "gay lifestyle" was disgusting and wrong, and how she wanted nothing to do with any of "them." Rosie forced her own mouth shut, feeling sicker and sicker with each passing second. It didn't take long for that sickness to turn into anger. She wanted to scream, furious and feeling helpless.

Then she got an idea. It was almost cruel, and very deceptive, but probably the best one she'd had in a very long time. It wasn't even like her – messing with people had been more of her brother's style – but she honestly couldn't resist.

Once the conversation slowed to an awkward halt, she turned to Lisa and said sweetly, "So, do you have any friends here in the city?"

The mousy young woman shook her head, sending brown curls bouncing in every direction. "Well no, not yet."

Rosaline smiled as brightly as she could manage. "Would you like to come over for dinner sometime, then? My boyfriend makes really great sandwiches and potatoes."

Lisa smiled back. "Sure! Thanks!"

"Oh, no problem."

* * *

Three days, one complicated explanation and some planning latter, the expected knock came on Madison and Rosaline's apartment door. The short, plump blonde dashed over to it, pulling it open with enthusiasm.

"Hi!" she grinned. "You're right on time."

"I'm good at that," Lisa replied, and held out an ugly fruit basket wrapped in purple cellophane. "Here, as a thank you for this."

"Thanks," Rosie replied, stifling a smirk as she accepted the gift. She opened the door wider, inviting the woman inside.

Madison, who had been cutting up tomatoes in the kitchen, looked up as they entered. She had bound her breasts, hiding any possible bulge under a baggy sweater, and swept her bangs back from her face. The crotch of her pants was packed with a sock, and Rosaline had used some old make-up to create a hint of stubble on her chin. Honestly, it wasn't the most convincing of disguises. Neither of them had known anything about drag, muss less realistic drag, until the day before. But Lisa was so blindly hateful, so ignorant, they both agreed that it was worth a shot.

"_This is never going to work,"_ Madison thought at her love.

"_Well…okay, probably not,"_ Rosie thought back.

Lisa just smiled foolishly at the "man" and nodded her head in greeting. "Hi, you must be Matt."

"_Um, that's right,"_ she replied, deepening her mental voice as much as she could.

The woman paled. "You're…"

"What?" Rosie asked innocently.

"A mutant," she whispered fearfully.

"_We both are,"_ Madison said flatly, understanding very quickly why her girlfriend saw fit to teach this person a lesson.

Rosaline crossed her arms over her chest. In her plans, she had avoided thinking about how to break this news to their guest. She decided against trying to hide their powers, finding it difficult enough to have to hide another aspect of themselves just to prove her point. She stared at Lisa, who stared back at her in confusion.

"I guess I should have mentioned that before," she offered. "But if you have a problem with us now, you are free to leave, you know."

"N-no, I'll stay," Lisa stammered. "I know we need to extend the hand of friendship to your kind."

Rosaline and Madison could almost feel each other groan inside.

"_Well, sit down,"_ Madison sighed. _"Dinner's almost ready."_

They made uncomfortable small talk throughout the meal, which eventually gave way to real conversation. Lisa told them they had a beautiful home, and Rosie thanked her, trying not to feel victorious already. After dinner was over they sat and kept talking, both hosts aware of their guest's diminishing discomfort and growing acceptance. Both women were shocked and pleasantly surprised that despite her ignorance, Lisa didn't suspect a thing.

Finally, well after the sun had set, Rosaline leaned forward and said somberly, "Lisa, there is a reason I invited you here."

"What do you mean?"

"Did you notice anything different about us, I mean, other than our mutations?" she asked. "Anything odd about the way we act, or _live_?"

"Well, no," she answered, beginning to sound apprehensive. "Why?"

Rosie looked at Madison, who silently stood up and unzipped her pants. Panicking, Lisa stood, but before she could flee the scarred mutant had reached down and pulled out the sock that had been hidden there. The brunette stared, bewildered, continuing to watch and nearly gape as Madison shyly pulled up her shirt to show the bindings around her chest. She sat back down then, leaving Lisa on her feet to gawk at her. Rosaline reached over and took her partner's hand, then looked back at their stunned companion.

"You're a _woman_?!" Lisa finally managed to choke out.

"_Very observant of you,"_ Madison replied, her "voice" back to normal.

She looked at Rosaline, totally lost.

"It's a _life_, not a lifestyle," the plant witch said simply, smiling. "I hope you understand that now."

Flabbergasted, Lisa gathered her things and hurried out of the apartment without so much as a word. She made a passable attempt at closing the door, but it creaked back open as she thundered down the stairs.

Madison got up and crossed the room to shut the door again, slumping against it with a heavy sigh. _"Well, that went spectacularly."_

"It still might have," Rosie objected, leaving the table to join her. She wrapped her arms around her love's waist and rested her head on her shoulder. "We'll have to wait and see how she acts at work."

"_Hm. I probably shouldn't have flashed her, though."_

She shrugged. "It was effective." Then she smirked, and reached under Madison's shirt towards the bindings. "Now, let's get you out of this."

* * *

It was a few days before both Rosaline and Lisa were scheduled at work for the same shift again. Curiously, Rosie discovered that the girl hadn't told any of their co-workers either of the things the couple had revealed to her – her mutation and her sexuality were still a secret there. However, Lisa avoided Rosaline like a plague. This was disheartening, Rosie felt, since she had wanted to prove to her that lesbian and gay couples functioned and lived just like heterosexual ones. Despite her efforts, Lisa didn't seem to have changed.

She noticed later that day, however, that Lisa had been sneaking glances at her, and she began to keep track of them. Each time she had a distinct look of puzzlement and thought on her face, and looked away quickly when Rosie looked over at her, acting as if everything was "normal." At this behavior, Rosaline couldn't help but smile, feeling hope return to her spirit.

Maybe she had begun a change, at least on some small level, after all.


	31. Summer Love

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

* * *

Summer Love

The door burst open and slammed shut as Adryen returned home from his date. Rosaline looked up from where she lay on the couch, her legs resting comfortably on Madison's lap.

"Um, hi?" she ventured cautiously.

"Hi," he spat back.

_"It was a disaster, I take it?"_

Adryen stomped into the kitchen, returning quickly with a bottle of Smirnoff Ice and downed at least half of it before he sat down beside them. Rosie sat up to give him more room, trying not to be amused at his antics.

"He still thinks mutant-kind deserves to rule over 'normal' humans," he sighed, twisting the bottle between his lacquered nails. "Then I said that since my only mutation is my hair color, I'm only one step away from human, and I don't think it's fair to treat people like that in any case. And he acted as if I hadn't said anything at all!"

"Well…..wow, that's harsh."

"Yeah."

Madison looked over her friend's slightly rumpled appearance. _"So…what else happened?"_

"Oh no, nothing like that, dear," he said, reaching up to fix his hair. "I walked back, since its nice out."

Rosie gawked. "He didn't even offer to drive you home?"

"Oh he did, but after he was so pompous and dared to act like that, I said to him, 'If I was in an enclosed space with you, I'd slit my wrists and hope you'd drown in my blood so we'd BOTH die!' Then I got up and walked away and left him there with the check."

"…..Oh."

The blue-haired queen finished the last of his drink, then stood, stretched, and headed for the stairs. "Well, I think I'll go shower to get the skeevy feeling off me. Good night my lovelies!"

As soon as he was out of sight, Madison laughed wryly and said, _"Remind me to never make Adryen angry."_

Rosaline smiled. "Seconded."

_"Do you want to bet on how long it'll take for him to hop back in Pietro's bed anyway?"_

"No, I'd probably lose." She grinned. "But I would _guess_ it'll be well before summer's over."


	32. Mirth

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras.

_More notes -_ I originally planned for this to be the last story I wrote for this challenge. However, the plotbunnies attacked, and it felt right to write it now. This deals with the layout for Rosaline and Madison's future – specifically, their decision to become parents. As such, I make reference to a lot of things I haven't written about yet that happen before this. I recommend going back to my fanfic "Triangle" and taking a look at the Extras (the last chapter of it) before reading this.

As far as Rosie and Maddy go, this is where I plan to officially leave their story off. I am not a mother, so I don't really know how to write the concerns of a parent yet. Maybe someday after I have my own children I will come back to them and write about what happens as their daughter grows up, but we'll see. Their daughter is another original character, by the way, inspired greatly by my love of certain parts of Japanese culture, and the character Lillie from the Joss Whedon arc of _Runaways_ (her name also comes from Lillie's name too, if you know your Japanese).

I also need to point out a few things I make reference to that might be confusing. The order of names in Japanese culture is the opposite of American culture – the surname comes _before _the first name, not after – so when I name the Japanese characters in this story, I write their names like they would use them. Sorry if that gets confusing for anyone! The bizarre ordering of the apartments and floor numbers in a building they go into, however, is not an actual part of Japanese culture. I made it up, and thought it was weird enough to throw in randomly. I have no idea how apartments and floors of buildings are labeled in Japan, as I have never been there.

Finally, I make reference at one point to a character named Mariko, who also goes by the name Sunfire. While there are many different versions of Mariko in Marvel comicdom, the version that exists in this X-men Evolution AU is very similar to the Sunfire from Exiles. Its one of my favorite series and that Mariko is one of my favorite comic characters. Her existence here is a nod to that, though I didn't get to write her. Maybe she'll show up in another chapter of this or the story I started that runs alongside this one, "Behind Masks."

And now that I've filled a full page with notes, please read on and enjoy!

* * *

Mirth

Utano Sakura was a patient woman.

She had dreamed of becoming an artist, but resigned herself to a marriage her family wanted and a life at home caring for her stranger-husband. In the early years of that life, she still found time to paint, and for a while that was enough. Eventually, though, she became pregnant. Soon, all of her time was spent caring for the needs of her child - a screaming, crying thing that seemed to know that she didn't really want it. Her husband did not help, insisting that as the sole breadwinner of the household, he shouldn't have to.

Despite her patience, every day she grew more frustrated and felt more trapped. She tried to love her daughter, whom she named Yurika, but it was too difficult. The only time she felt a bond with the baby was at night, when she would sing her to sleep, safely separated from her by the plastic walls of her cradle.

One such night, she sat in a chair nearby the bassinet, rocking it back and forth as she sang the child a song her own mother had often sung to her. She was getting very tired, so when it happened, she thought she was dreaming. It took almost a full minute for her to realize that her eyes were not playing tricks on her at all.

The tiny nine-month-old was floating several inches above her blankets, cooing happily.

Sakura screamed and fled the room, slamming the door behind her.

* * *

Continents away, in a moderately-sized townhouse in Bayville, New York, the phone rang. Rosaline grumbled at being rudely awakened, but got out of bed to answer it. She glanced at the clock as she stumbled downstairs. It was shortly after nine in the morning. Adryen lived in an apartment above his bar now, while Madison had to get up early to go teach at the Institute. Because it was autumn, Rosie didn't need to be at work as much – student tendencies to ruin the flowerbeds not withstanding - and she had been taking the opportunity to sleep in. As far as she was concerned, it was still far too early.

"Hello?" she finally answered, trying not to sound tired.

"Rosie? Its Amara."

"Oh hi! Did Jean want me to come in today after all?"

"No, its not that." The Nova Roman paused, as if collecting her thoughts. "It's just.....something happened this morning that I thought you might want to know about."

Images of accidents flooded Rosaline's mind – a student's powers going berserk and hurting her Maddy, an attack on the school causing chaos and harming even more people. She tried to shake it off, replying softly, "What is it?"

"Remember that lunch we took last year, right after you and Madison got back from your honeymoon, when you told me you wanted to have a child soon?"

"Yes?"

"Cerebro picked up a new mutant signature today. From Osaka, Japan. It's coming from a child, Rosie – a baby, only nine months old."

"What?" The plant witch stood, flabbergasted, as her friend explained further. Jean had already contacted the infant's family, who were panicked. Scott was forming a team to go there and help them, but it didn't seem like the parents wanted anything other than someone to take their child away.

"And that's why I called," Amara concluded. "Tabitha's talking to Madison about it now, we've already suggested it to Scott, and he wants to invite you on the mission. We won't be going with you, but I think you should go meet them. This might be what you were waiting for."

Rosaline was so surprised, so unconsciously grateful, that she was lost for words. A few moments passed, but she didn't realize it until she heard Amara ask,

"Hello? Are you still there?"

"Yes," she said, letting out a long breath. "I'll be right over."

* * *

After getting hastily dressed and leaving a rather indecipherable message on Adryen's voicemail, Rosaline rushed out of her home and down the roads that led to the Institute. She hadn't thought to pack anything, or even hail a cab to get her there faster. Still, she managed to make it there in half the time it usually took. Students waved at her and she smiled as she hurried past them, hoping she didn't look lost or panicked or worse. She cursed and damned the elevator for taking so long as it dropped her to the lower levels, then took off running again and finally skidded to halt in the hangar.

The team Scott had assembled was already getting ready to board. Jean was there, as the head of the school, as well as Logan, who spoke Japanese, and Rogue and Bobby. They were all dressed in civvies with X-marked jackets over them, and none of them had suitcases. Remy was there too, but had his and Rogue's babies – Oliver and Rebecca, already a year old – with him, which probably meant he was only there to see his wife off.

Standing just apart from the others and watching Remy care for his children was Madison. She was pensive, silent, but looked up and smiled as Rosaline ran into the room and over to her.

"_Hello love,"_ she said, kissing her quickly.

Rosaline took her hands and squeezed them tightly. "Not to rush things, honey, but do you really want to do this?"

"_What do you mean?"_

"You've expressed doubts about whether or not you want to be a parent before," she explained, trying to keep her voice down and ignore the gazes of the others. "I don't know what's going to happen, but I know what _might_. Is this what you want?"

Madison just looped her arm around the short blonde's plump waist and steered her toward the others. _"Come on. We'll talk about it on the way there."_

As they approached, Jean looked over and nodded at them. "Are you ready?"

"I think so," Rosie replied. "Should we have brought anything, like clothes?"

"No, sugah," Rogue said. "We should only be there a few hours, an' the flight'll only take a day or two, 'specially with Bobby pilotin'."

At that Logan grunted, and Bobby grinned at him. "What? Its not like I'm bad at it anymore."

"Hmph. Let's go, popsicle," Logan said, shouldering Bobby towards the X-jet's on-ramp as if he were still a teenager.

Rogue stepped over to Remy and kissed both her children on the tops of their heads. "You take care of your papa, darlings. Mama'll be home soon." Then she placed her gloved hand over Remy's mouth and kissed him as if their lips could actually touch. "Ah love you."

"You too, chere," he smiled.

Rogue gave them all a hug, being careful not to squeeze too hard, before she turned and dashed up the ramp after Jean. Madison and Rosaline waved at Remy as they boarded, then the ramp slowly lifted and shut behind them. They settled into seats across the aisle from each other and behind Rogue and Jean, while Bobby got the advanced plane up and running.

"Stealth mode, kid," Logan warned, sitting in the co-pilot's seat. "We don't need anyone bothering us."

"I do know what I'm doing," the young man smirked.

"Yeah, but I'm the more experienced pilot, bub. The only reason _you're_ flyin' is cause Jean thinks you'll get us there faster." He looked pointedly at his student-turned-friend, and she shrugged, feigning innocence.

As the hangar's large entryway opened and the jet lifted off, speeding up as it took the skies. Jean turned around to look at the couple behind her. "Amara told me she called you, Rosaline. Are you both filled in on the situation?"

"As much as we can be, I think," Rosie said.

Madison nodded in agreement, then asked, _"As much as we're grateful, why did you think it was a good idea to bring us along? I'm the most obvious mutant among us, and I don't want to pretend that Rosie isn't my wife. Might that make these people a little uncomfortable?"_

"Maybe," Rogue said, turning around to join the conversation. "But if these people don't want their kid, we want them to know she's gonna be in good hands."

Rosaline almost held her breath, still afraid she was mistaken. "Meaning.....?"

Jean smiled. "If we have to take this baby back with us, even though I know we'd all work together to take care of her until we found her a home, it seems unnecessary to do that when there's already a home waiting for her."

A smile grew on the plant-controlling mutant's face and she turned to look at her partner, happy to see that she was smiling too.

Despite her unexpected joy, however, Madison found herself asking another question. _"Jean, don't you think it would be better, I mean,_ look _better in terms of improving attitudes about mutants, if we convinced the parents to keep their child?"_

"Well, yes," she admitted. "And we're still going to try to do that. But when I called them this morning, right after Cerebro detected the child, neither of them seemed very…..parental. I think there might be more to their discomfort than anti-mutant opinions."

"An' the work that Mariko's been doin' as Sunfire, since she graduated and returned to Japan a couple a' years ago, has really improved opinions of mutants in the entire country," Rogue added, turning to Jean. "By the way, Ah called her before we left, to see if she wanted ta help. But she's stuck in Tokyo in conferences this week. At least she can't be mad at us for not visitin' her while we're here."

She nodded, then looked back to the couple behind her. "Do either of you have any other questions?"

Rosie sighed. "No. I just hope you don't blame us for wishful thinking."

Jean smiled again. "Of course not. Just don't be mad at Amara for telling us you want a kid."

"Deal."

A few hours passed in relative silence, interrupted every now and then as Bobby felt the need to point out what they were passing over in obnoxious-tour-guide fashion. Rogue dozed off, and Jean turned to a stack of papers she had to grade for one of the many classes she still taught. Since everyone seemed relatively occupied, Rosaline turned to Madison and began thinking at her.

_Love, how do you really feel about all of this?_

_I'm nervous, _she admitted, thinking back to keep their conversation private._ You know I'm afraid that I'll mess up any kid I have just as bad as.....well, I just don't want to hurt anyone. What if that violence is genetic?_

She reached across the aisle to take her hand and intertwine their fingers. _Its not._

_But I've killed people before, Rosie. It was ten years ago now, but it still happened. What if that ever happens again?_

_I know you,_ she replied, trying to fill the thought with all the love she possessed. _Your life isn't like it was then, and even if for some bizarre reason it was, you did that in defense of someone you cared about. You're not going to hurt our baby._

The scarred mutant smiled wryly. _She's not our baby yet._

_I know. But I can't help wanting her to be._

Madison looked over at Rosaline, a glimmer of hope shining through the worry on her face. _I love you, and I know you'll be a good mother. But I can't help being scared about this. Do you really think I have a shot at_ not _messing this kid up?_

_Of course I do. She's going to have a lot to deal with, having two mothers who are also pagans and mutants, but I know we will love her as best we can. And you know what else?_

_What?_

_On the other side of all that fear you have is the opportunity, the honor of having the chance to bring a person into this world who isn't filled with hate – who might change this world for the better. I know you feel that too._ She stifled a chuckle. _Not that I'm an empath, but maybe Day's giving me that as a gift from the other side. Or maybe its just that I love you and know you better than you think you know yourself right now. Which I do, and I promise you that we'll both be good mothers._

Madison smiled, leaning over to kiss her. _All right. Let's hope we get her, then._

_Good,_ Rosie thought as she kissed her back.

At the front of the plane, Bobby noticed their reflection on one of the jet's panels and turned his head to oogle, since they weren't looking. Logan hit him upside the head and barked at him to keep his eyes on the skies. Hearing this, Rosie let herself laugh and leaned back in her seat, her hand still locked in Madison's as she wished for the first time that she could control time instead of plants.

* * *

Some hours later, the X-jet landed silently and invisibly on top of a tall building in Osaka, Japan.

"Why are we landing _here_?" Rosaline asked as she shrugged another X-emblazoned jacket over her shoulders and grabbed a smaller one for Madison.

"This is the headquarters of the business that Utano Taka – the baby, Yurika's, father – works at," Jean explained. "He thought this would be the most.....inconspicuous place for us to arrive."

"Meaning he doesn't want anyone ta know we've come to meet _him_," Rogue noted, starting down the ramp to the roof.

Logan nodded, though his nose crinkled in annoyance. "Well, we're supposed to be here to help them, kid, not improve the mutant cause."

"Let's not argue about this," Jean sighed. "Bobby, you stay here with the jet and keep stealth mode on. We'll be back soon."

"Aye aye, captain," he saluted, then turned to give Rosaline and Madison an encouraging smile as they left the jet.

"_How is he going to know that we're here?"_ Madison asked.

"I contacted him when we were about an hour away," Logan grumbled. "He said he'd meet us here and tell us where to go."

"Where to go? Isn't he going to be present when we, well, whatever we do?" Rosie asked.

Jean frowned. "I don't think he has much interest in the child. He's the one who called us, but when I asked for more details about what happened, he gave the phone to his wife."

Rosaline opened her mouth to respond in disgust and found herself distracted as she looked over the edge and out at the crowded city below them. She could see nature in the distance, but it was far beyond the steel and cement of the sprawling world they found themselves in. She had never been to Japan before, and though she knew from her studies that it was a highly populated but small island, she felt like she hadn't really understood until now.

"Wow, wouldn't of been anywhere else ta land the jet anyway," Rogue whistled, giving words to Rosie's thoughts.

Seconds later they heard a door open nearby, and someone cleared their throat. Rosaline, Madison, Jean, Rogue and Logan turned to see a stern-looking man standing near the only door on the rooftop, clearly waiting for them. His black hair was slicked back and locked in place, and he wore a perfectly tailored but not very colorful suit. Jean led the way over to him, and Logan bowed, greeting him in Japanese.

"I speak English," he insisted shortly. Now that they were closer, both Rosaline and Madison could see how very tired he looked.

"Thank you for inviting us, Utano-san," Jean smiled. "My name is Jean Grey, headmistress of the Xavier Institute. This is Logan, Rogue LeBeau, and Rosaline and Madison Jamekson."

Utano nodded at each of them, but said nothing else.

"I understand you don't want us noticed?"

"Indeed not," he answered. "The stairs behind us lead to another set of stairs that goes down to the main floor. Most of us use the elevators, so you probably won't be seen if you go that way. Please do so. I have to get back to work."

Jean's smile twitched at the corners and she inhaled deeply through her nose. "All right. We'll need directions."

"There is a car waiting outside that will take you to and from my home. Directions are not necessary."

Logan frowned. "You coming with us, bub?"

"No," Utano replied, insulted that they would ask him to. "As I said, I have work to do. I would hope that business-oriented people such as yourselves would understand that."

In response, the short, volatile man simply stared at him, his opinion clearly showing on his face.

Before the situation could really begin deteriorating, Jean stepped in again, her strained smile still in place. "We understand. Just show us to the stairs so we can help your daughter."

He nodded his head slightly, not smiling, and stepped toward the door. "Follow me."

They did, exchanging bothered glances behind his back. When they reached the next level, he bowed quickly to them and strode over to a nearby elevator, stepping into it without saying another word. The stairs obviously continued down, so they kept going now that they were free of the cold man, passing several other doors as they went on their way.

"_Is it wrong that I hope we can get this kid away from him?"_ Madison finally asked.

"That's not exactly our place," Jean chided.

"Oh, but it was okay for us ta set up potential new parents for his daughter?" Rogue pointed out. "Ah agree with Madison. He seems like an unfeelin'….God, I don't know what."

Rosaline took Madison's hand and held on to her tightly as they descended.

A few minutes later the stairs finally ended at a thick door. Rogue reached forward and pushed it open, revealing a sidewalk and street on the other side. This didn't look like a main road, so they all assumed the door had opened on the side or back of the building. The car was waiting nearby, like Utano had specified. It was actually a small black van, but despite its size it still looked like it had plenty of room for all of them. The driver got out as they approached and opened the back door, looking confused at their appearance, but asked no questions. In kind, each of them kept their thoughts to themselves as they got in and settled themselves. After they were all seated, he got back into his seat and pulled the van back onto the road. It met with a much busier, wider road very quickly, and he skillfully joined the passing traffic.

A very quiet fifteen minutes later, the driver pulled over again. On the trip, the buildings had changed quickly from business to residences. The one they found themselves in front of now was clearly a higher-end apartment building.

The driver looked over his shoulder at them and spoke in Japanese. Logan responded quickly, ushering the others out of the car.

"What did he say?" Rosie asked.

"He's going to call Utano's wife and tell her we're here. She has to 'buzz' the main door open for us," the grumpy Canadian explained. "And he's been told to wait outside for us until we're done."

"Well, at least Utano has an escape plan for us."

_"Only because he doesn't want people to know his daughter is a mutant."_

"Jean, do we have any idea why this baby's powers manifested so early?" Rogue asked as they stepped through the door opening into the lobby.

"No, but I intend on asking her mother about it." She turned to Logan. "Did the driver mention the apartment number?"

"Six dash eight B," he answered gruffly.

Madison looked over at the doors around them. _"These are in the twenties, so I bet its at least a few floors_ up_."_

"An' it looks like this is the elevator," Rogue said as they approached a squarish, sleek metal space in the wall. She pushed the button beside it, and within moments it opened to reveal exactly what they expected.

"The floors are labeled from the top down too, look!" Rosie observed, pointing at the buttons on the keypad inside. Each button had two marks on it – a numeral like they were used to seeing in English, and a Japanese symbol below it. "Logan, what do these say."

"Not sure. I only speak it."

"But Ah thought you lived here for a while, way before ya came to the mansion," the southern belle noted.

"Yeah. It made some things difficult. Anyway," he leaned closer to the pad, pressing the one labeled six. "This one's probably right."

Rogue frowned at his easy dodge, turning her attention to the floor numbers above the door that began lighting up as they passed them.

Moments later the elevator stopped and the doors slid open again, revealing another small lobby area and hallways like the arrangement on the first floor. Jean stepped out first and led the way as they all searched the doors for apartment numbers.

_"None of these have letters on them,"_ Madison pointed out, frustrated. _"How are we going to pick the right one?"_

"Well, we're on the sixth floor, and it looks like there are only two labeled 'eight,'" Jean noted. "Hold on." She stopped, closed her eyes, and breathed slowly. Seconds passed before she opened her eyes again. "She's in the one behind us." Without waiting for them to respond, she turned around and walked quickly up to the correct apartment, knocking three times on the door.

It opened as the rest of them caught up with her. An exhausted-looking woman peered out, leading on the doorframe. Her long, sleek black hair was unbound and slightly messy, but she was dressed well and displayed a sort of grace even though she was clearly worn down. She looked at each of them in turn, then fixed her gaze on Jean, who stood in front.

"Are you the X-men?" she asked in English, her accent stronger than her husband's.

"We are," Jean replied. "Are you Utano Sakura?"

The woman just nodded and opened the door further, stepping aside to give them room to enter. "Yes. Please come in."

They filed inside, quickly stepping over the small entrance area and up to the floor of the rest of the apartment. Jean stopped as she heard Logan clear his throat, and opened her mind to hear him think, _Jeannie, take off your shoes. Its rude._

_Oh, thanks,_ she thought back, and stepped back down – bumping into Rosaline – to do so. Seeing that, everyone else did the same, though it took Rogue a moment to unlace the tall boots she wore. As soon as everyone was beyond the step, Sakura closed the door and joined them in the living room.

It was beautifully decorated, filled with expensive-looking furniture and electronics. The walls were ornamented by photos of the couple with other people – likely family members – but the occasional abstract painting was hung apart from them. Rosaline and Madison sat down on the small sofa, while Logan stood and Rogue took one of the two remaining chairs. Jean also chose to remain standing, leaving the last seat for the woman they had come to help. Cautiously, she sat down, her expression that of obvious discomfort and uncertainty.

"I'm Jean Grey, Mrs. Utano," the redhead finally said, then introduced the others in turn.

"Please, call me Sakura," their hostess replied. "I am more comfortable with that."

She smiled. "All right, Sakura. How would you like us to help you?"

Rosaline edged closer to Madison, both of them watching as Sakura's face changed emotions. She opened her mouth to speak, but said nothing and looked away, thinking. Her hands became fists and clutched at the fabric of her skirt.

Finally she looked up, panicked, and said, "I do not know. I know I should want to keep my child and understand her needs, but I....." Her words broke into tears, then, and she turned her face again away from her visitors.

At that, Rosaline heard Jean speak into her head, saying, _Rosie, can you and Madison go check on the baby? I want to talk to Sakura alone._

_All right,_ she replied. She looked at Madison, who was already staring at her, and guessed she had heard the same thing.

As they began to stand, Jean stepped closer to the distraught woman, placing her hand on her shoulder to draw her attention. "Sakura, do you mind if some of us go check on your daughter?"

She looked surprised, but shook her head. "No, I do not. She is in the small room at the end of the hallway. Except, please do not wake her. She fell asleep not long ago."

"We won't," Rosaline smiled, feeling hopeful despite her sympathy for the woman. She bit her lip with guilt as she and Madison turned toward the hallway. When they were almost out of earshot, they heard Rogue excuse herself to go to the bathroom, and Logan said that he needed to smoke. Two doors opened and shut just before they reached the room Sakura had directed them to.

_"What if she hates me?"_ Madison asked, focusing her thoughts so only Rosie would hear her.

"What if she doesn't?" her wife replied, and took her hand as they entered the small room.

It was dark, lit only by a small lamp that gave off pale pink light with stars and moons cut into the lampshade. There was a rocking chair near a low bassinet that was also designed to be rocked, a long but small table with stacks of diapers and other changing materials, and a basket full of stuffed tigers, bears, and other random creatures.

Rosaline held her breath as they approached the cradle, still clutching Madison's hand. She felt her love squeeze her hand back just as strongly as she did, and tried to take courage from that. She was surprised to find herself scared, too – what if the baby woke up when she saw it and started screaming and crying? Wouldn't that be a sign that this was a bad idea? Trying to force away those questions, she told herself to breathe again as they both peered over the edge and down at the tiny form below.

The baby, Yurika, was sleeping soundly under a purple blanket with Japanese lettering embroidered on top next to a cartoon-ish image of an octopus. Her one-piece pajamas were pale yellow with matching booties, though the left one was about to fall off. She had short, feathery black hair that stuck up in odd places from her nap, and a bubble of saliva was just about to pop on the corner of her mouth. Her right hand was closed tightly around the ear of a stuffed giraffe that took up almost half the crib's space.

_"She's....."_

"Adorable?"

_"Yeah."_

They stared at her, minutes passing without notice. Eventually the child opened her eyes, revealing warm brown ones, and looked right up at them.

Rosaline's breath caught in her throat. "Hi," she whispered.

Yurika opened her mouth and began to cry.

_"Oh crap,"_ Madison cursed, and without thinking reached into the crib and picked up the baby. She adjusted her in her arms, minding her head, and bounced up and down lightly as she tried to shush the child. Enough was going on as it was; the last thing Jean needed in talking to Sakura was this kind of interruption. After only a moment she quieted down, but Madison continued holding her, rocking slowly back and forth instead of bouncing. Eventually she realized she was being stared at, and looked up to see Rosie watching her. She blushed. _"What?"_

The short blonde's face was full of joy and peace, and her hands were clasped together just above her breasts. She leaned forward and kissed her, wrapping her arms around her waist while the child snuggled safely between them.

"Are you still afraid?" she asked.

Madison looked down at the child, who had nodded off to sleep again. _"Yes,"_ she admitted after a moment, _"but I think it will be worth it."_

* * *

They stayed with the baby for about half an hour after that, since no one came to get them. After a while Madison handed her to Rosaline, and she stirred a bit but didn't wake or start screaming again. When Rogue finally appeared in the doorway, she found Rosie sitting in the rocking chair with Yurika against her chest, while Madison sat on the floor nearby.

"Well, ya'll look pretty comfy," she teased.

Rosaline looked up and grinned. "If you tell me I can't keep her, I think I'm gonna cry."

"Ah think anyone'd cry if they had to tell you that." She walked into the room and closed the door. "Jean's almost done talkin' ta Sakura, and Logan's with her now too. She used her powers on her a little bit, just to see what's in her head, an' that woman ain't happy. She hasn't really admitted it in words, but she doesn't want the baby – she nevah did." She leaned down and tousled the child's short hair. "Shame, really. She's adorable."

_"That's what we said,"_ Madison replied, standing up. _"What does this mean for us?"_

"Ah can't say, really.....but Ah think you'll have a lot of shopping to do when we get back."

Rosie wiped away tears she hoped neither of them would notice. Madison did, of course, and placed her hand on her love's head. She smiled up at her in response, then looked back at the baby in her arms.

"So what do we –"

The door opened again, interrupting her, and Jean stepped into the room. "Its over," she said simply. She looked at the couple, and the baby they wanted so much, then smiled at them. "I did what I said I would, but nothing is going to convince Sakura that she should keep her baby. She never wanted her in the first place, so this is more of an easy way out for her than about anti-mutant feelings."

Rosaline began crying in earnest then, tears of relief spilling down her face. "Really?"

"Yes. Congratulations," she replied. "And thank you for helping us. Not that we wouldn't have taken care of her, but....."

Rogue laughed. "We obviously have enough on our hands – all of us – with our own kids. And the students."

Madison stepped over to Jean and hugged her, noting the surprise on the redhead's face, then went back to her wife and child. Rosaline stood and again they held the baby between them, reveling in the joyous knowledge that she was really theirs. Rosie reached up after a moment and touched Madison's face, lifting her finger to show the teardrop that had landed there. Realizing that she was crying too, Madison chuckled, wiped her eyes, and leaned forward to kiss her. They only broke apart when they heard one of the other women clear their throat. Rogue smirked at them, and they smiled back.

_"So what happens now?"_ Madison asked.

Jean sighed. "Sakura has gone into her bedroom and shut herself in. She doesn't even want to say goodbye."

"Honestly? Wow."

"Yeah. We're going to fax the adoption papers to her husband's office, and they'll fax them back to us with signatures and whatever else we need. Sakura also wants us to take anything we might need from here, meaning diapers, toys, and the like." She reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a very thin, folded-up duffle bag. "Luckily I thought to bring one of these."

"Ah'll take that," Rogue said, grabbing the bag before any of her friends could protest. "No offense, but Ah think I know better what y'all are going to need, at least for the moment."

"No complaints here," Rosie replied, happy to continue cradling her daughter.

As Rogue began filling the bag with diapers, baby powder, formula, and whatever else she thought necessary, Madison walked to the crib and pulled both the blanket and the giraffe out. She tucked the blanket around the sleeping child, letting it drape over her lover's arms, and stuck the giraffe awkwardly under her own arm.

_"Jean,"_ she asked, _"did Sakura say anything else that might explain why Yurika's powers manifested so early?"_

She thought for a moment, but shook her head. "Not really. I can only assume that somehow she knew she wasn't wanted, and that caused her enough stress to manifest them."

"Well, Ah think that as time passes, we're gonna see more an' more children manifesting their powers early," Rogue mused, slinging the bulging bag over her shoulder. "Seein' as its evolution and all."

As they left the room, Rosie asked, "What is her power, anyway?"

"Amara didn't tell you?"

She shook her head.

The southern belle smirked again. "If ya feel like singing, you could find out right now."

".....Huh?"

Before anyone could make another sound, however, an electronic melody filled the air. As Rosaline reached for her cell phone, she gasped, eyes focused on her baby instead of her pocket. Yurika, still sleeping was floating several inches above her arms. She reached up and gently caught her as the ring tone ended, letting the blanket slide off and hit the floor.

"Wow."

_"Seconded."_

"If she can do that in her sleep, you'd better tie her to her crib if she has any toys that make music," Jean noted.

"Uh huh. Will do," said Rosie, staring at the child in awe. Yurika just yawned and snuggled back into her chest.

Madison leaned down and picked up the fallen blanket, tucking it this time under the giraffe. _"Love, you'd better check your phone."_

"Oh right!" she exclaimed, reaching again to pull it out of her pocket. She flipped it open and scrolled through the menu. "Missed call – Adryen. And of course he didn't leave a message." She began to scroll back to get to his number.

Logan had been leaning against the wall in the living room, but stood as he saw the women approach. "Ready?" he asked, sounding impatient.

"Yes," Jean said, and led them all outside again. As they headed back downstairs, she turned to them with a mischievous smile on her face. "I'm sure we're all eager to get home. How do you feel about an alternative mode of transportation back to the X-jet?"

"As long as its fast, Ah'm in," Rogue replied. "Ah miss _my_ babies."

_"All right,"_ said Madison, her 'voice' filled with curiosity and hesitation. Logan grunted, and Rosie nodded as her phone rang in her ear.

When they finally reached the sidewalk again, Jean waved at the Driver, who started to get out of the van. However, all he could do was gawk as all six of them lifted into the air, flying by way of Jean's power.

"Oh, Ah've got this on mah own. Race ya!" Rogue laughed, and sped ahead of them. Logan rolled his eyes, but smiled after her.

As they flew higher, turning when Jean saw the building they came from, Adryen finally answered his phone.

"Yes'm?"

Rosaline giggled, clutching the sleeping baby to her chest with one warm. "Is there a reason you have two hundred rings set before your voicemail kicks in?"

She could almost hear him dramatically flip his hair over his shoulders. "Just to annoy you, dear. I got your message. Where are you?"

She grinned. "Japan."

"Um, okay. Why?"

"Let's just say we need you to do some shopping for us before we get home. Don't worry, we'll pay you back, and buy you something to make up for it."

"Well, that's an offer I can't refuse. What do you need me to pick up?" He listened, silently, as she listed off various baby-oriented products, interrupted every now and then by Jean's suggestions. ".....Is there something you forgot to tell me, dear?"

She laughed. "Nope. But you're going to be an uncle anyway. I'll explain when we get back."

"Okay hun," he conceded. "But it had better be good."

Rosie hung up the phone as they landed on the rooftop again. Rogue was already sitting on top of the still-invisible plane, and waved at them as they approached.

"Took y'all long enough," she grinned.

"You've become much more of a show off, you know, since you got those powers," Logan grumbled unthreateningly.

"Ah got more personality, too." She slid down and joined them as they watched the on-ramp lower to let them back in. One by one they climbed back inside, settling back into their seats.

Bobby swiveled around to greet them. "I see you got the kid."

_"Yeah,"_ Madison smiled, looking over at her partner and their new child. _"I feel sorry for Sakura – Utano's wife - but I'm glad we get to take her home."_

The iceman turned around to start the jet and get it set to launch again, but kept talking. "Wasn't it kinda selfish of her to give her kid up?"

"Maybe," Jean sighed. "But not everyone was meant to be a parent. And I think, or at least I hope, she'll be happier this way."

"Me too," Rosaline agreed. "And I hope.....well, she probably won't want to know about it, but I still hope she'd approve of the life we give Yurika, and whoever she becomes."

Madison reached over and took her free hand, squeezing it tightly. _"I'm sure she will."_

As the plane inched forward, ready to start back to the United States, Logan looked back at the couple and said, "What do you think you'll call her?"

"I don't know. She already has a name," Rosie replied.

"Hmph. Well, she'd be more 'yours' if you named her yourself. And I'm sure you can do better than what she's got already."

"What do you have against the name 'Yurika'?" Rogue asked. He said nothing, and again she let it drop, though the look on her face made it clear that she would bother him about it later.

Rosaline looked at the sleeping baby, then over at her wife. "What do you think?"

_"I have no idea. This was all so sudden, I didn't even think of having to name her."_

The plane took off, and minutes turned to hours as they both thought about it. Jean turned back to the papers she had been grading before, while Rogue pulled a book from beside her chair and began reading. Every now and then Logan scolded Bobby for something he deemed dangerous or foolish, and Bobby just shrugged at him, but the others paid little attention to their banter.

Then, suddenly, Rosie turned to Madison and thought at her, _Euphrosyne._

_Huh?_

_Euphrosyne. It's the name of one of the Ancient Greek Charites – the Three Graces. She's the goddess of joy and mirth, which means joy accompanied by laughter._ Her lips parted in another smile, filled with the sureness that this was right. _That's what I want to bring into her life, so I think that's what we should name her._

_All right. Yoo-fro-sin-ee._

She shook her head. _No, its Yoo-fro-zen-ay._

Madison chuckled. _That's going to be a mouthful._

_I know, but I think she'll like it._ She looked down at the child, who was starting to stir. "What do you think, Euphrosyne?" she whispered.

The baby yawned and blinked sleepily up at her.

Her other mother reached over and rubbed her stomach. She giggled, then started to cry and reached for the giraffe, which was propped up against the arm of Madison's chair. Quickly grabbing it, she passed it to Rosie, who propped it up against her own armrest so it would lay with their daughter. Euphrosyne wrapped her arms around its neck and began chewing on one of its ears, looking innocently up at her new parents.

_"I think I'm going to call her Euphie for now, at least until she grows out of it."_

"That's adorable," Rosie said, and leaned over to kiss her wife, feeling altogether whole.

* * *

_Yet more notes - _I didn't want to mention this before the actual story, but in case anyone missed this, Logan's familiarity with Japan and distaste for the name 'Yurika' is a reference to Lady Deathstrike –a former lover of this, civilian name Yuri_ko_. I thought of changing the baby's given name so it wouldn't be confusing, but I'm glad I didn't, as it gave me an opportunity to refer to yet another canon thing that wasn't covered in X-men Evolution.

Anyway, thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this!


	33. Biggest Fear

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

* * *

Biggest Fear

When their relationship was just beginning, Madison always worried that Rosaline would someday realize that she wasn't worth it and leave her. In those early days and nights, especially during their first few months in New York City, that terror would grip her at unexpected times – at the market, in her sleep, washing dishes – and for full minutes she would be convinced that her life was about to come crashing down again.

Gradually that passed as her Rosie proved more and more that she wasn't going anywhere, and she tried to relax about it. For a while she found herself becoming truly comfortable in their love.

When they moved back to Bayville, however, the scarred woman couldn't help remembering the violent events that had heralded their departure – even though she had promised to forgive herself, and the men that killed Day, for what had happened. A new fear replaced her old one - that she was really a monster and would hurt her love someday, just like she had hurt and killed her father and those men.

She kept it to herself, and over time, that fear also grew less powerful. But still, sometimes, she wondered if she would always be dangerous and afraid.


	34. Voice

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

* * *

Voice

_"How long do you think it will take to get there?"_ Madison asked as she and Rosie stood, bags in hand, waiting for the early bus to New York City.

_Probably a little longer than the ride here, since the bus will be making stops along the way, and Dad drove straight through, _she thought back.

The scarred girl stared at her. _"Please, don't do that."_

_Don't do what?_

_"Answer me only in your head, when you don't need to,"_ she explained. _"Sure, its great that I can hear your thoughts when we need to talk privately, like when we're in a group or something. But we're alone right now, and if someone walks by, and 'hears' my voice in their head without anyone responding, they'll think I'm talking to_ myself _and they're going even crazier."_ She smiled awkwardly and nudged the shorter woman with her shoulder. _"Besides, nothing's wrong with my ears, and I like listening to your voice."_

Rosie blushed, leaning in to rest against her girlfriend. "Okay. Sorry."

Putting her free arm around the blonde's shoulders, Madison leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. _"Much better."_


	35. Frustration

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

* * *

Frustration

As they exited the movie theatre and stepped onto the busy New York sidewalk, Madison groaned, expressing her dissatisfaction for the hundredth time.

_"I can't believe we sat through that whole thing!"_

"Oh come on, it wasn't all bad," Rosie replied, taking her hand as they walked. "Layla's powers were almost like mine, so I liked that. I can't make a non-apple tree produce apples, though.....at least not yet."

She snorted in response. _"They didn't mention that they were mutants, not even once! And they even explained away some of their powers by saying so-and-so got dumped in a vat of toxic waste! What absolute shit!"_

The plant witch steered her uncharacteristically enraged girlfriend toward the subway entrance. "But honey, what the X-men are doing as costumed heroes is clearly catching a positive light, since people are actually making superhero movies now."

_"Yeah, but superhero-esque stuff has existed forever," _she noted as they climbed down the stairs and got in line. _"Just look at Zorro."_

"But Zorro didn't have any superpowers, and everyone in Sky High did."

_"Not everyone. Ron Wilson Bus Driver was power-less until he got dumped in toxic waste and somehow miraculously survived."_

Rosie smirked. "Well, maybe he was secretly played by Logan."

Madison paused, then shuddered and bit her lip to keep from laughing. _".....All right, I might be able to stomach that filth of film after all, just for that mental image."_

She grinned and pulled her through the turnstile, happy to have calmed her down a little.


	36. Act

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

* * *

Act

_Dedicated to all people who don't believe that someone can change, to all people who believe that only a certain amount of "extra" body fat is acceptable, and to everyone who has to deal with crap from people like that._

The train ride from Salem, Massachusetts, to Bayville, New York, was relatively peaceful. Adryen slept through most of it, as he had procrastinated and had to stay up most of the night packing. Rosaline kept herself busy by reading and writing in her journal. Madison, though awake, turned only to the window for entertainment – watching the scenery change from inside a train was much more beautiful than watching from inside a car or bus, and she planned to take advantage of it.

A few hours into the trip, however, the view before her eyes switched drastically; forming a vision of something that had not yet happened.

She was staring into the study of Xavier's mansion, which seemed unchanged since the last time she saw it. The fireplace was bare and the light filtering in through the window showed that it was almost sunset. Scott Summers and Jean Grey, looking much older than she remembered, were the only people inside. Jean sat curled up in a large armchair, watching Scott pace the room before her. Eventually the ruby-spectacled man stopped, leaning on the back of a small sofa, and groaned at his partner.

"I don't know, Jean, it just bothers me," he said.

"But Scott, they seem happy, and I think they've been through enough to deserve that."

"I know, but....." He threw up his hands, running them through his brown hair. "Masque – I mean, Madison – doesn't seem the least bit sorry for what she did the last time she was here!"

Jean frowned. "Not that I don't think she should be sorry, dear, but the Professor scanned her mind right after it happened. He said she definitely felt remorse."

"But what if she's changed her mind about it? Might it be dangerous to let her teach here?"

"If she has, or if it is, I'm sure the Professor will notice and make his own decision about her. It isn't our call to make, Scott."

"I know," he said again. "It's not just that, though. She was our _enemy_."

"So was Rogue."

He sighed. "Okay, point. Still, they're both so different now. Just look at Rosaline. She's.....well....."

"Large?"

"Yeah. To put it lightly. And she seems _comfortable_ with it."

The redheaded woman stood up and walked over to him, placing her arm affectionately around his slender waist. "I don't think it's healthy either, but if she's happy that way, it's not like telling her she's fat will change her mind."

"I still don't think that having someone around all the time who's _that_ big and proud of it will set the best example for the students."

Jean smiled sadly. "Then just act like you don't mind. It's what I do whenever I disagree with how someone chooses to live."

Madison pulled herself out of the vision, grinding her teeth to pass the vertigo she felt from the movement of the train. It had been a long time since her precognition kicked in, and even longer since she had to force herself out of a vision before it was over. But she didn't want to hear any more of their ridiculous conversation.

She glanced over at her companions, relieved to find that neither of them had noticed her behavior. Though the moment she had witnessed hadn't happened yet, she knew she should keep it secret. If she and her love were going to be happy here, they would need to be themselves from the start. And apparently, being themselves would bring disapproval from two people they were going to have to trust. Rosie would be hurt by what they said, and probably wouldn't be able to keep from confronting them about it. It would hurt their friendship and working relationship, not to mention call into question the ethics of her own power; which was not a conversation she wanted to have while she had such little control over it. Best to never mention it and pretend she hadn't seen it at all.

She reached under her seat for her backpack, digging through it for her CD player and headphones. Maybe some loud, angry music would quell the sickness and hurt inside herself. It was just so disappointing that two people who's very existence embodied diversity could be so closed-minded and suspicious.


	37. Growth

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

* * *

Growth

A year after her position as Xavier Institute gardener started, Rosaline Jackson stood in the greenhouse the Professor had built shortly after her arrival. It was on the back lawn of the grounds, far away from the building, in a sunny location, and big enough to grow food for the whole mansion if they needed it to. Having to care for its contents was not a problem and did not distract from her other job duties. However, the second task that came with it made her anxious from the start, especially since that was why she was there that day.

_Relax,_ she told herself as the students began filing in. _You know these kids now, they seem to like you, and even if this is a disaster, you only have to do this with them once. Then next year it'll be a whole new set of students and you'll have learned from whatever mistakes you make today. Theoretically. Really._

It had actually been Ororo's idea. Her own connection to the weather made her think that the students would benefit from learning about their connection to the natural world. When Xavier decided to invite Madison and Rosaline back, she had gone to him and suggested that they build a greenhouse and use it to teach the students that lesson by making it clear where their food comes from, and what work goes into producing it. She was busy teaching geography, world history and environmental biology, so it was decided that Rosaline should be in charge of the new class. Problem was, Rosaline didn't think she'd make a good teacher. So when she agreed to take the job, she and Xavier came to a compromise. She would tend all the plants at the mansion, including the greenhouse, and teach a class about it only once a year. Only new students would be required to attend. Also, she could choose when she wanted to teach it, which meant she could arrange to have help harvesting. It was a good plan – unfortunately, that didn't stop her from being nervous now that she actually had to do it.

Once everyone was inside and the door shut behind them, she looked the group over. Alison and Xi'an – also called Dazzler and Karma – stood close to her, smiling not-so-inconspicuously at each other. They had been keeping their relationship a secret, though many of the staff had already figured it out. Next to them were Mariko – codename Sunfire, a fiery Japanese girl with pigtails and a cheery disposition, and a square-jawed blonde boy known only as Longshot. They were both eyeing the couple beside them and trying not to be obvious about it. Next to them stood a short girl with long red hair named Theresa, who also called herself Siryn. She was chatting with a pink-skinned and haired girl named Clarice, or "Blink," and in speaking Theresa revealed her thick Irish accent. They both stopped talking when the door closed, ready to pay close attention. Beside them was a brunette Hispanic boy named Julio, codename Rictor. Rosie remembered that he and Clarice were close due to their mutual rescue from Genosha by the X-men. Leech, the youngest of them, stood by him just in front of Lorna, also known as Polaris, the green-haired metal-controlling girl Scott's brother Alex was dating. Finally, beside her was Betsy - Psylocke, purple-haired, British, older than the rest of them and not-so-secretly dating Angel. She had only spoken to her a few times, but the fact that Rosie didn't judge her for her relationship seemed to make Betsy friendlier than she was to some of the other teachers.

"Well," the plant witch began, "thank you all for coming. I'll try to keep this short."

"Good," Julio mumbled, then grunted as Clarice elbowed him in the ribs.

Ignoring that, she gestured to the long rows of plants before them. "What you see in here are plants that produce most of the vegetables, fruits, herbs and so on that go into the food you eat everyday. They sustain you and connect you to this planet, though you might not think of that every time you're scouring the kitchen for a late-night snack."

Mariko giggled, and Rosie relaxed, appreciating it as a sign that she had gotten off to a good start.

She continued, then, explaining with increased confidence the benefits of growing one's own food instead of relying on a supermarket – including the dangers of pesticides and other chemical additives. She also told them how she ran the greenhouse, starting each plant from seed and accelerating their growth with her power; a system that enabled everyone at the mansion to have at least some fresh food year round. Additionally, she told them that any extra food was donated to local soup kitchens in the Institute's name, which she planned to continue doing with her own garden if she and Madison ever managed to move out of the mansion. Recognizing Madison's name, as she had already become a presence at the school through her lessons with Xavier, some of the students that were unfamiliar with Rosie relaxed. Comforted by that, she concluded by asking them to help her harvest some of the produce and take it to the kitchen. All of them agreed, if not out of respect for what she said, out of knowledge that they wouldn't get credit for being there if they didn't.

Beside her was a stack of baskets, and she asked Xi'an to hand them out while she directed each student to a waiting plant. It was quiet as they worked at first, but soon Alison started singing, and the music and dancing lights helped pass the time until every basket was full. Her own basket in hand, Rosaline led the way back up to the mansion, smirking as Lorna used her magnopathy to pull on the metal frame of the greenhouse door, shutting and locking it behind them. The group went straight past the pool, to the backdoor and into the kitchen, leaving the full baskets on the table for Ororo to sort through.

Rosie grinned, relieved, as she dismissed the students from there. "Thanks again for all your help!"

"Say hi to Ms. James for me?" Xi'an asked as she and Alison passed her.

"Of course," she replied, waving at them as they left the room.

Shy Clarice was the last to leave, following Julio, who hadn't looked behind to make sure she was there. The rosy girl stopped in front of Rosaline, smiling awkwardly.

"Thanks," she said. "That was actually fun."

Taken by surprise, her 'teacher' took a moment to respond, but finally smiled back and nodded her head. "No problem. Thank _you_."

Clarice nodded to her as well, then turned and hurried to catch up with her friends.

Oddly satisfied and just a little bit proud of herself, Rosie left the kitchen, heading upstairs to the room she and Madison shared. She still had to write a report on the class to give to Xavier, as he had asked her to do when she agreed to teach it. Though she was glad it was over, it had gone far better than she expected. To her surprise, she found herself wondering when she would need to run another one, and looking forward to it.


	38. Discovery

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

* * *

Discovery

Shortly after Rosaline, Madison, and Adryen moved into their townhouse, someone else moved into the other half of the building. They were called the White's, had only one child – an eight year old son – and looked relatively "perfect." And though they shared a wall with them, they chose not to interact with the trio much. Madison assumed they had figured out that they were mutants, but Rosaline theorized that is was because they were all obviously gay. Regardless of the reason, they decided to let it be and keep to themselves, as the family seemed to wish.

What they didn't know was that they were both wrong. The Whites had no idea that any of their neighbors were more than homo sapien; they simply weren't overly friendly with anyone they didn't know. They hadn't even noticed that Madison and Rosaline were in love, or that Adryen was less than "manly."

This changed, however, shortly after Rosie built her own greenhouse in their half of the backyard. It was the first summer since they'd moved in, and she had managed to save enough from her wages to purchase a smaller version of the one Xavier built at the Institute. She also bought boxes full of seeds, using her powers to grow each plant at an accelerated rate, so she, her girlfriend and her best friend could have fresh food all year. The greenhouse was made of sturdy metal frames and thick, almost opaque glass, so no one could clearly see what was inside. She assumed that would be enough protection to keep onlookers from noticing how fast the plants were growing.

But as she brought baskets full of ripe fruits, vegetables and herbs out of the structure every day, the people next door began to wonder. Especially when winter came, and Rosaline was still bringing pomegranates to her table.


	39. Failure

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

* * *

Failure

It was evening, and Rosaline was just coming home from her weekly stop at the soup kitchen. The day had been gorgeous – clear blue skies, very sunny – until she reached the suburbs. As she turned down the streets that would lead her to her home, she felt a single drop of rain land on her nose. Crinkling it, she looked up and was surprised to see grey clouds forming above her. The change quickened, then, blackening the sky within seconds. Lightning struck suddenly in the distance, followed by a clap of thunder that shook the earth. Rosie jumped and screamed involuntarily, even though she knew in her heart _exactly_ what this meant. Weather changes didn't happen this rapidly due to normal circumstances. And considering what they were all afraid was going to happen, she could easily guess why the woman called Storm was upset.

Her walk broke into a run, but by the time she reached the townhouse she was already soaked by the downpour. As she pulled the door open and hurried inside, she saw Madison hang up the phone in the kitchen. They stared at each other, understanding without words what they both already knew.

Rosie ran to her girlfriend and wrapped her arms around her, burying her face against her collarbone. Ignoring the water now soaking into her clothes, Madison hugged her back, holding on tightly.

"Shit," the plant witch finally said. "Fuck."

_"Yeah."_

"Is it really true?"

_"Yes. Tabitha called to tell us. It was by a slim majority, but still, it passed. Everything Hank and Ororo have done to stop it, even taking Professor Xavier to talk to Congress, was for nothing. That bastard Kelly has too many friends."_

The plump blonde cursed again, still clinging to her scarred partner. "What happens now?"

_"Well, the X-men are going to refuse to register,"_ she explained, _"and they're going to let the students decide for themselves, but encourage them not to. The school will probably be revealed for what it is, too. Apparently any mutants who refuse to register are supped to be arrested, but its obvious even to the government that's not going to work."_

"Are you going to register?"

_"No,"_ she answered with grim confidence. _"I've live my life as I see fit, without regard for laws I disagree with. I don't see why I would start now."_

"Good, me either." She let go of her and crossed the kitchen to search the fridge for a much-needed drink. "I think that registering would be the same as admitting that we're dangerous, just like Senator Kelly says."

_"I know, love. I think we all feel the same way."_

* * *

Outside, Mrs. White dropped her sodden laundry onto the grass. It had been hanging to dry on the line across the fences, so when the storm suddenly started, she had run out to rescue it. She hadn't expected that her odd neighbors would forget to close their window, however, or that she'd overhear their conversation. Even worse, she heard half of that conversation in her _head._

In a daze she picked up what had fallen and went back inside, letting the clothes drop again on her kitchen floor. Her husband was out picking up their son from his soccer game, which left her alone to deal with what she suspected. She walked into the living room and turned on the TV, switching through the channels until she got to the news. The newscaster was talking about a car bombing in the middle east, but the scrolling marquee at the bottom of the screen told her what she needed to know.

"Mutant Registration Act passes. President satisfied, despite mutant outrage."

Shocked, she flumped down onto the couch. She had wondered about those women ever since the fat one built that greenhouse, but she overlooked this possibility, though it seemed painfully obvious now. Now life and their residence was so complicated, and she had no idea what to do.

* * *

It was painfully obvious to Madison, Rosaline, and Adryen that from that day on, the White family began completely avoiding them. They were grateful, of course, that they hadn't sent the police after them. As time passed, it was also made clear that the streets were no more dangerous to mutants than they had been before, and this relieved them. But they still worried about what thoughts, and what hate, _all_ of their neighbors might be harboring behind closed doors.


	40. Love

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

* * *

Love

The spring after Rosaline and Madison moved back to Bayville, they were still very busy adjusting to life there and figuring out what they wanted to do next. Madison had just started taking classes at the local community college, in addition to her lessons with Xavier, while Rosaline had plenty of work on her hands redesigning the Institute's gardens, setting up the greenhouse, and helping all the plants flourish. So when Beltane – the festival of love and marriage of the Goddess and God in their faith – rolled around, neither of them had time to prepare a 'proper' celebration.

This disappointed Rosie more than she let on, but she tried on to think of it as she went about her duties on the first of May. It was for the best, really. Their room in the mansion was quite spacious, but not big enough to conduct ritual without moving furniture, and no room in a school of mutants was ever entirely private. She knew also that it would still be Beltane for her as long as she kept the holiday in her heart. Still, it wouldn't be the same without circle cast and sacred space.

Hours later, she dragged her weary bones upstairs, done with work and wanting simply to change clothes and have dinner. When she opened the door to her room, however, she forgot her tiredness and stared in shock. Flowers of every spring variety lay on the dressers, headboard and along the walls, with bowls of spring berries placed among them, incense burning in three braziers and the window open wide to let in a warm breeze.

"What the....." she gasped.

Her explanation came as familiar arms encircled her round waist from behind and pulled her close.

_"Surprise."_

She turned around in the embrace to wrap her arms around her girlfriend's neck and kiss her. "Shouldn't you be in class?" she murmured, smiling.

_"Let's pretend it got cancelled. Do you like it?"_

"Its lovely! And sneaky of you, I must say."

Madison grinned. _"I know. I could tell you were sad that we didn't get to plan for a full ritual this year, so I hope this makes up for it a little bit."_

"More than a little bit," she replied, kissing her again. Then she stepped backward, pulling her love into the decorated room. "Come on, let's _really _celebrate before anyone notices we're not downstairs."

_"No argument here,"_ Madison smirked, shutting the door behind them.


	41. Surprise

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

* * *

Surprise

It had been an hour since the X-men left the Institute to intercept the Phoenix, formerly known as Jean Grey. She had been tearing a path from her hometown to Bayville, leaving destruction in her wake. Xavier knew that she would be coming for them even without being able to probe her mind, so he had summoned all the active team members – even calling in help from Magneto's Acolytes and the Freedom Force – and they had all gone to stop her before she reached the city.

The news broadcasts showed that they fought only half an hour away from the suburbs, where the mansion was located. Battle was still raging – even with twenty-nine powerful mutants in her way, the Phoenix was barely being held back. She was now more powerful than any mutant had ever been.

Rosaline and Madison, as non-active and very non-official members of the X-men, had stayed behind to watch over the students and protect them if need be. Worried, all thirty-or-so kids had spent most of the last hour in the Rec Room, huddled around the TV for news of their teachers. Both women stayed there with their charges, confident that the security system would alert them of any danger nearby.

But now that it had been going on for so long, Madison was growing restless. She stood, telling her girlfriend she was going to get some air, and smiled at the students as passed them. She briefly entertained the thought of raiding Logan's stash of beer, but decided against it – he cared a lot for Jean, and was probably doing to need all the alcohol he could get when this was over. Instead, she went out the front doors and sat down on the steps that led to the long, curving driveway.

As she breathed deeply, taking in the cool air in hopes that it would clear her head and quell her fears, she heard a clanging noise in the distance. It continued, so she stood again, realizing it was coming from the entrance gate at the end of the drive.

She was still trying to figure out exactly what it was when the gates suddenly burst open. The alarms began blaring immediately. Stunned, she watched as a group of fifty people marched toward the school. In front they held a banner marked 'Friends of Humanity,' and were led by two people who seemed to be in charge of the rally. One was a blonde woman about the same age she was, dressed in trendy clothes with a foul disposition on her made-up face. The other was a middle-aged man, shouting encouragement at the crowd through a megaphone. He had reddish-blonde but graying hair, _almost _feral-looking features, and wore a twisted grin above his simple but expensive-looking suit.

Before Madison had a chance to react to them, Rosaline burst through the doors behind her, gawking at the intruders.

"Oh, you have _got_ to be kidding me!"

"_I know,"_ she groaned, feeling stronger now that her love had joined her. _"Where are the kids?"_

"I had Xi'an take them into the lower levels for protection. If all else fails, they can hide in the chamber under the Danger Room."

"_Good,"_ she said, preparing to use her power. She didn't want this to come to blows, but she would do anything she had to if they tried to get inside.

As the group drew closer, Rosie reached with her own gifts into all the plants nearby, ready to call them to her bidding with only a thought. "Goddess, Angela's still with them," she noted once the people were near enough to recognize.

"_Of course she is. She hates all of us."_

They stood their ground, and moments later, the FoH finally reached the large building. The man known as Graydon Creed left Angela Matthews' side and stepped up to the women in his way.

"Move, freaks!" he shouted, still using the megaphone.

Rosaline covered her ears with both hands. "We're right here, asshole! Drop that thing!"

"_And we're_ not _moving. This is private property. I suggest you leave."_

Angela laughed. "Do you honestly think, with that huge mutie battle happening just outside city limits – threatening thousands of civilians – that we're going to back down now? We're going to make an example of what your sickening X-men left behind here."

Rosie's features darkened. "There are _children_ inside this house. Nothing more."

"Those children are weapons!" Creed spat at her. "All your kind needs to be destroyed!"

"Now_ move_, you rotund abomination!" Angela insisted again, glaring daggers at the plump woman before her.

"_Okay, that is IT!"_ Madison hissed. She reached forward, her arms and fingers twitching as her powers activated. Immediately fifteen people at the back of the crowd turned around and walked quickly back toward the gate and city beyond it, dropping their picket signs on the way. Seeing that, some of the other group members rushed forward, still trying to get into the school. She latched onto another ten of them, forcing them to knock their heads together until they were unconscious.

Graydon Creed also rushed forward, roaring with rage. However, Rosaline was ready for him. With less than a breath she sent the branches of the nearest shrubbery spiraling into fast growth. They slammed into his whole upper half, knocking the air out of his gut and throwing him several yards away. Angela, who had also been about to act, shrieked as she saw him soar over her head. She turned and ran after the others who were leaving, though _she_ did so willingly.

The less than twenty-five people that remained looked confused amidst their anger. Rosie didn't give them time to react. She sent the grass toward them, wrapping it around their legs and pulling them to the asphalt. As they slowly broke free of those thin bonds, she pulled more of the grass into action, weaving the unnaturally long strands into a net that came over the group from both sides. The more they struggled and tried to break out of it, the more woven layers she places atop them, until they were pressed so tightly to the ground that they couldn't move a finger.

"_Well, that was ridiculously easy,"_ Madison said.

"What about Creed?" her love asked.

"_He's unconscious. Don't worry; I was ready to send him packing if he wasn't."_

Rosie smiled. "Where did you send those people, anyway?"

"_The hospital,"_ she grinned back. _"You know, in case they want medical attention for mutant brain cooties."_

The plant witch laughed, then frowned as she looked over the mess before them. "So much for their relatively peaceful protests."

"_I know. These people may not have known it, but Creed was definitely out for blood this time."_

"After all of his talk about exterminating mutants, I'm not surprised."

Madison nodded. _"Anyway, I just spoke into Xi'an's head to let her know we're okay, and asked her to call the police. They're probably all out trying to contain the carnage from the battle, but maybe someone's still at the station."_

"Good idea," Rosie began to say, but stopped short as the air around them shook. They both looked in the direction the X-men had gone. There the sky glowed red, and soon the air wavered again, followed this time by an odd boom-like sound.

"_Oh shit,"_ Madison cursed.

Rosaline covered her mouth with her hands, fearing the worst. "Jean....."

* * *

_Author's note:_ I stole one of Angela Matthews' lines, calling Rosaline a "rotund abomination," from something Emma Frost says to Gertrude Yorkes in the series _Runaways_. Not that I wanted to take it away from Emma's bitchery, but it fit very well here, sooooo yeah.


	42. Picture

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

* * *

Picture

Rosaline lay on the bed she and Madison shared, in their room at the mansion, listening to her lover's slow breathing beside her as she stared at the picture of Day on the wall. After a few days back in Bayville, she had to admit it was very odd being there without him.

"I promise I won't forget you," she whispered, biting back tears that still came no matter how much time passed. "And I'll make it better here than it was for us before. The way I think you would have liked it."

As she drifted off to sleep, she tried to feel her twin watching over her. In many ways she was still that mournful girl in front of the mirror, hair butchered to match the length his had been just so she could see his face in hers. In other ways, she was a totally different person. She only hoped that he would have liked her as she had become.


	43. Transmogrify

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

* * *

Transmogrify

Rosaline exhaled, smiling with relief as the smoke curled around her face. It had been a very bad day,

Back when they were hired, the Professor had given her free reign to design and plant the gardens as she wished. Ororo had done the same when she took over for a few months after his death. However, no matter how good Ororo was at running things, Xavier's will stated that Jean and Scott should take over the school eventually. So now that Jean had recovered from the Phoenix incident and she and Scott were good and married, Rosaline and Madison found themselves with new bosses. And with new bosses, of course, came new ideas. Scott had no interest in the gardening, but Jean suddenly wanted things done differently on the grounds. Rosie didn't blame the woman, really – after what had happened, she must have needed to grab onto every scrap of control she could. But it was making her job un-enjoyable for the first time ever.

She passed the beautifully crafted piece of glass to her love, who accepted it gratefully, dipping her lighter into it with practiced skill. Scott had come down a lot harder on _her_ about her curriculum as the school's English teacher, and she needed some help calming down just as much as her girlfriend did.

After a few more breaths, Rosie welcomed the tingling in her brain, the awareness of every part of her body, the sense of safety, happiness and peace. Everything seemed so much simpler now, and she began to believe – no, to _know_ – that everything would calm down and be back to normal soon. Silently she thanked the earth for this reminder of her connection to it, and the Goddess for the gift she had been given as a mutant, which enabled her to totally control this chosen form of healing and release.

She took the pipe from Madison, emptying the ashes into the leaf-shaped ceramic dish between them, and turned to fill it again.


	44. Nothing

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

* * *

Nothing

Madison groaned and bit her lip, going over the figures for the thirtieth time. _"Love, that check you wrote to get the sink fixed came out of the account already."_

Rosaline, who had been tending to their indoor garden across the room, cursed under her breath. "Shit. I should have known those guys would pull something like that, since they treated us like we know nothing just because we're young and female." She turned and sat down with her girlfriend at the kitchen table, wiping the dirt on her apron. "How much do we have left?"

_"After everything else goes through? Nine dollars. That'll have to last us until we get paid next Friday."_

"Dammit."

_"Yeah. Good thing you have a way with plants, otherwise it'd be just rice for a week again."_

Rosie nodded and stood, going back to the garden to see what food she could dig up.


	45. Kinky

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

* * *

Kinky

About three weeks after they met Adryen, Rosaline and Madison found themselves over at his apartment again. They had been having dinner and planned to watch a few low-budget sci-fi films afterward, which the blue-haired man had an uncharacteristic love for.

However, before they could start, the small home was filled with sound of angry pounding on the door.

Adryen got up to answer it, peeking out with the security chain on. Waiting on the couch, the young women heard their friend curse in Spanish.

"Be right back, loves," he called to them as he stepped outside. "Just need to get rid of a pest."

He vanished through the door then, shutting it securely behind him. Five minutes passed, then ten.

"Do you think he's okay?" Rosie wondered.

"_Probably. He told us he's a bit of a heartbreaker. I bet it's an old boyfriend or something."_

The curvaceous blonde nodded, but showed her continuing worry as she twisted the fabric of her skirt between her fingers. ".....Well, if he's gone for another ten minutes, I think we should check on him."

Madison sighed. _"Okay."_

"Good." She stood up, smiling. "I'm gonna go explore while we wait."

"_What? Why?"_

"Because we can never get him to tell us anything about his past or his family, and I want to know if there's a reason."

She smirked. _"Getting caught every time you snuck out of Xavier's school taught you nothing, did it?"_

"Nope," she grinned back, leaning over to give her a quick kiss before she headed toward the bedroom and bathroom.

The bathroom showed her nothing unexpected – a towel rack with one hot pink towel on it next to the single-stall shower, a matching hand towel near the sink, three shelves above the toilet that were brimming with make up and other 'beauty' supplies, a very large mirror over the sink and an even bigger one on the wall opposite. It was so tiny that most of the wall space was taken up by the mirrors and the shelves, so there were no other decorations, and everything in there told her things that they already knew about their strange friend.

She frowned and turned away, ignoring the pang of guilt she felt as she stepped into his bedroom.

The space was dark and messy, filled with random articles of clothing – both masculine and feminine – that had found their way out of the closet and onto the furniture. Since they had started visiting him more frequently, he had gotten better about cleaning up the living room, but his messy habits still prevailed in a place so private. He had one set of drawers set up near the open closet, right across from his bed. The walls were covered with brightly painted harlequin masks and posters of popular music 'divas,' but there were still no photographs anywhere.

Rosie was about to go back to the living room, defeated, when she caught a glimmer of something on Adryen's bedpost. Stepping forward, she realized the setting sun was peeking through a crack in the window shade and bouncing off of a pair of silvery handcuffs that hung there. She stared, wondering innocently why he would have those, and then noticed another object hanging off of the post opposite it. Looking closer, she discovered that it was a wicked-looking whip with nine 'tails.'

Still not quite putting two and two together, she retreated, plopping back down on the couch with a confused look on her face.

_"So, is he really an alien or something?"_

She shook her head. "Um, no, I didn't find anything like _that_."

Madison quirked an eyebrow at her. _"Looks like you found something else."_

"Well, um, yes."

_"What?"_

"He has handcuffs and a weird whip on his _bed_," she whispered. "Why would he have those in the first place, and why would he keep them there?"

She bit her lip, trying not to laugh. _"Wow, that's more about him than I ever wanted to know."_

"What? Why? What does that mean?"

The scarred woman leaned over and kissed her. _"I love you, and you're adorable."_

Rosaline half-frowned, half-pouted back at her. "You're making me feel dumb."

_"I don't mean to, honey. You're just more.....sexually innocent than a lot of people, and I forget that sometimes. Sorry."_

A blush rose to the short mutant's cheeks. "Oh.....so those are.....?"

_"Yeah."_

Her entire face now red, she nodded slowly. "I am so not telling him I saw that, ever."

Madison reached over to put her arm around her girlfriend and pull her closer. _"Probably a good idea."_

A few moments passed, then Rosie asked, "Wait, how do _you_ know about that kind of stuff?"

She turned to respond, but was interrupted as Adryen finally came back inside. They both shut up, pretending that nothing at all had been discovered.


	46. Magnetic

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

* * *

Magnetic

Madison was just leaving Xavier's office after one of her lessons when she crossed paths with a very cranky-looking Scott Summers. He didn't look up as he walked, almost colliding with her and knocking her notebooks onto the floor.

"Sorry," he mumbled, stepping around her.

Despite her knowledge of his real opinion of her and her girlfriend, she found herself asking, _"Are you all right?"_

He shook his head. "The guest room my brother Alex's staying in is right down the hall from mine and Jean's. Last night there were very _recognizable_ noises coming from it, every metal object in every room in the hallway started sticking to each other, and Jean told me she couldn't find Lorna in the students' quarters. Do the math."

She tired not to snicker. _"Ah. Well, its not like he's a kid anymore."_

"He'll always be one to me," he groaned. "And she's a _student!_ This is totally inappropriate of him and he's lucky he's off on a mission for the Professor today or I'd _really_ let him know what I think!"

_"Right,"_ she replied. _"Well, um, good luck with that. I've got a class to get to."_

He grumbled something else at her and stomped away. Turning to head out into the city for her college courses, Madison silently wished luck to any children Scott might eventually have. If he reacted like this to his brother's sexuality, those kids would be in for a reckoning once they hit puberty.


	47. Death

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

* * *

Death

Rosaline ran, tearing through the forest as tears poured down her cheeks. It was barely sunset. The X-men had come home, a restored but unconscious Jean Grey among them. They were all battered from their battle with the Phoenix, but the worst of it lay in Hank's arms – Charles Xavier's body, less physically injured than the others, but devoid of life.

She ignored the branches that grabbed at her clothes and hair, the stones that cut her bare feet. She ran until her lungs felt close to bursting. Madison, her love and life, was still back at the mansion. She was helping Scott, Ororo, and the others prepare for their leader's funeral, probably hoping that would distract her from her own pain. Rosie understood and respected that, but she needed to mourn differently. They could be together, hold and comfort each other, later.

Finally the distraught woman collapsed against an ancient willow tree, then let herself sink too quickly to the ground. She could feel bruises forming already, but was glad for them. They reminded her that she was still alive despite the unfathomable ache in her heart. Even though she had chosen not to become an X-man, to try and live a simpler life with the woman she loved, Xavier had still given her purpose. He had saved her from hate. He had showed her that life wasn't going to end just because she was so different from normal people.

Feeling more like a child than she had in years, Rosie let the earth's energy pour into her with every inch of her body that touched the ground. She sobbed, her tears falling into the soil, and felt the life of the tree above her and all the plants around her begin to comfort her soul.

Time passed and she stayed where she was, letting the natural world help her regain composure. It was getting dark by the time she heard a familiar voice in her head.

_"Love, where are you? Are you all right?"_

_Yes,_ she thought back, sitting up. _I just needed to be outside._

She could almost feel her partner's relief. _Okay. I was just getting worried. When are you coming home?_

_Now. _She stood up, surprised at how sore her body already was. _Are you still at the mansion, or did you go home too?_

_I'm home. I guess I needed to be alone after all. I.....I tried to help them, but there wasn't much I could do._

_I don't think there's much any of us can do for each other. We were all united in his vision, but he meant something different to everyone. _As she walked, she was surprised to see familiar buildings through the trees. _Wow, I ran further than I thought._

_Where are you?_

_Close. I should be home soon._

_Good. Just be careful, okay?_

Rosaline smiled. _Always._ She realized as the darkness grew deeper that despite everything that had happened to her, she wasn't afraid at all. Xavier had helped her feel safe, and she would be forever grateful for it.


	48. Hunger

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

* * *

Hunger

Madison rolled over in her sleep, reaching unconsciously to wrap her arms around Rosaline's slumbering form. However, she found her lover's half of the bed empty, her fingers grasping at cold, flat blankets.

She remembered then that Rosie had gone to visit her parents for a few days. Because it was winter and she didn't need to be at work as often, she was able to get some time off. Madison, however, couldn't go because of the schedule of classes she had to teach. It had been three days, and though she would be back in four, the scarred woman had not been sleeping well without her girlfriend. In fact, the nap she had woken up from was the best sleep she'd had since she left. No wonder she had been confused when she woke.

Sighing, she sat up and swung her legs over the side of the mattress. There was no way she was going to be able to get back to sleep now. What made it worse, of course, was the fact that she couldn't just call Rosie to see how she was doing. The range of her mental voice wasn't quite that great. Adryen had been calling her on a daily basis, and let Madison know how she was doing after they hung up. Rosie herself also called the house phone once a day – usually while her Maddy was at work – leaving her messages so she could hear her voice. But even with that, it still felt like her partner was almost entirely absent from her life.

Trying to squash feelings of self-doubt and fear, Madison went downstairs to the kitchen, putting the kettle on for tea. She prayed the week would be over soon.


	49. Honesty

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

* * *

Honesty

The third time that Adryen and Pietro broke up and got back together, Rosie decided to invite the speedster and his sister over for dinner. It was warm enough to have a cookout, so they bought some salmon to grill outside and hoped that the good weather would keep everyone happy.

_"Why are we doing this again?"_ Madison asked as they finished setting the patio table, looking up as the doorbell rang.

"Because we want to show Adryen that we approve of his relationship even if Pietro's a heinous bitch," Rosaline answered very matter-of-fact-ly. "And I haven't seen Wanda since the two of them came back to town. You guys were almost friends once, weren't you?"

_"Yeah,"_ she said, glancing at the Scarlet Witch as Adryen – who had arrived earlier – showed her and her paler twin though the townhouse. _"But look, they don't seem to have changed much."_

"In some ways, we haven't either," the plump woman noted, smiling as their guests approached. _Just give them a chance, okay?_

_I'll_ try, _but I can't promise anything._

Wanda smiled back at them, and the gesture seemed more sincere than expected. "Hey Rosie, Masque."

_"It's Madison now,"_ the scarred mutant said, finding an unexpected smirk on her own face. _"Good to see you again."_

Rosie pulled her into a hug, and shockingly, her brother's former almost-girlfriend didn't zap her for it. "It_ is_ good to see you, Wanda. How have you been?"

"Well enough. It looks like we have a lot to catch up on."

"I'll say," said Pietro, turning his nose up at them. "You'vereallyletyourselfgo."

Adryen elbowed him in the side and glared daggers at him, but he just gave him an innocent look in response. Rosie cleared her throat, deciding to ignore the rude man and steer her wife away from him.

_"The fish should be done soon,"_ Madison noted, catching on to her love's choice of action. _"Why don't you all take a seat?"_

She walked over to the grill as the others sat, Adryen wisely seating his boyfriend as far away from Rosie as possible. Still, silence awkwardly reigned while dinner finished cooking.

Once the food was served, however, everyone became more civil and began talking about what had passed since they last saw each other. Pietro reined in his bitchery enough to explain their exploits on the Freedom Force, while Rosaline and Madison kept their opinions of that work to themselves. Wanda caught them up on what they had done since the Force disbanded and why they had chosen to return to Bayville – since they no longer spoke to their father, and he hadn't visited this place since Xavier's death, he didn't seem likely to bother them there. Rosie told them what happened in the years after Day's passing, and Madison explained what they did at the school, being cautiously vague about it just in case.

They kept talking after they were done eating, silently agreeing to take care of the dishes later. After a few moments Madison took advantage of a lull in conversation to excuse herself and head for the bathroom. Rosaline was still focused on talking to Wanda, both of them remembering what had happened almost ten years ago. She wasn't paying attention to what Adryen and Pietro were saying, but suddenly she caught a few phrases that drew her interest, whether she liked it or not.

"So how did Rosaline get so _fat_?" Pietro asked, not bothering to lower his voice. "Didsheeatacoweverydayorsomething?"

"No," Adryen answered, sounding annoyed. "The only reason she was so thin back then was 'cause she wasn't eating much."

"Hmph. Maybesheshouldgobacktothat."

"Pietro!"

"Well, lookather! Its no wonder she ended up with an ugly scar-covered traitor like Masque. Nobodyelsewouldwanteitherofthem!"

Rosie's temper flared and she stood abruptly, shoving the table a few inches away with the force of the movement. "That is_ it_!" she shouted, her angry gaze fixed on the white-haired asshole.

He smiled angelically up at her. "What?"

"You are just a flaming douche bag who doesn't appreciate anyone else, aren't you?!" She looked over at Adryen. "I'm sorry, I wanted to show you support, but I guess I can't." She turned to Wanda, who looked like she was trying not to laugh. "And I'm sorry that someone as decent as you has to have such slime for a brother! Clearly he got all the _stupid_ genes." Finally, she turned back to Pietro. "Now, you, kindly get the fuck out of my house!"

He opened his mouth to respond, but was surprisingly interrupted as an upset-looking Adryen got up and pulled him to his feet. "Come on, 'Tro, let's go have a talk." The normally fast man was so stunned at his fling's aggression that he let him drag him back inside and out the couple's front door.

Wanda also stood, stepping around the table to follow them out. "Sorry, but thanks for dinner," she grinned, nodding to the shorter woman as she left. "And thanks for that, too. Its been months since I saw someone put my brother in his place."

Rosaline slumped back down in her seat, sighing heavily as her guests departed.

Seconds later, Madison came back outside. She looked at the empty chairs and around the backyard, then finally walked over to her wife and embraced her gratefully.

"_I don't know what you did, but I love you for it."_

Rosie just laughed, relieved that they were alone again.


	50. Yours

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

* * *

Yours

_"Um, Rosie?"_

"Yeah?" the blonde replied, looking up from her journal. "Did you need help, honey?"

Madison put down her simple, learning-oriented knitting project and shook her head. _"No, its not that. I was just wondering something....."_

"Oh?"

She blushed. _"Well, we've talked about getting married before, right?"_

Rosaline's heart stopped. "Yes?"

_"One thing we didn't cover is, well, who's going to ask who?"_

".....Oh, I hadn't thought of that."

_"Yeah. So was part of the fairy-tale romance you wanted when you were younger a proposal you don't have to make?"_

Rosie smiled, standing up to go wrap her arms around her girlfriend. "Oh my love, what I wanted as a girl is much different from what I want as a woman. No matter which of us asks, I'll always be yours."

Madison returned her embrace, snuggling into her soft curves. _"Well good, but that doesn't answer my question."_

"Then, how about whoever feels like the time is right first gets to ask?"

_"Deal,"_ she said, and sealed it with a kiss.


	51. Sexy

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

* * *

Sexy

Madison adjusted the wire frames on the bridge of her nose and stared with annoyance at her reflection. _"Ugh, I don't think I'm ever going to get used to these!"_

"But you look so cute in them!" her love insisted. "And Hank said you only have to wear them for reading and driving, anyway."

She frowned. _"Rosie, enough's wrong with me without my eyes starting to fail."_

Rosaline frowned right back at her. "Okay, one – nothing is wrong with you. Two – your eyes are not failing, just changing, and that doesn't mean you're going blind because you need glasses. And three – I think they make you look even hotter, in a sexy librarian kind of way."

Her wife smiled. _"I'm an English teacher, not a librarian."_

She smirked, kissing her on the nose. "Close enough."


	52. Kisses

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

* * *

Kisses

In the early morning light, an oddly alert Rosaline rolled over under the sheets and stared at the woman beside her. Madison was definitely still asleep. So she scooched closer to her, planting a series of quick kisses on her exposed shoulder.

"What up wake up wake up wake up!" she whispered. "I want to spend time with you!"

Madison only grunted and rolled over as well, still dead to the world.

Rosie pouted, then grinned mischievously as she began poking at her love's arms, sides and stomach. There was no way she was giving up that easily, especially since this was the first day they'd both had off in a long time. Maddy may be grumpy about it at first, but she'd get over it and thank her later.


	53. Absurd

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

* * *

Absurd

While Rosaline and Madison were on their honeymoon, Rogue gave birth to twins, adding to the growing next generation of the X-men.

She hadn't intended on getting pregnant – all she and Remy had wanted to do was fully consummate their relationship, and were lucky enough to convince Leech to sit outside their bedroom with headphones blasting in his ears for a while. All of that pent-up passion, though they had found other ways to be intimate, must have pushed fate in an unexpected direction. And while it wasn't planned, she considered herself very, very lucky, especially when her children weren't hurt by her mutation as they passed healthily out of her body.

With that extra concern in mind, however, her friends were even more sorry they weren't able to be there for her. So when they returned, they made a point to visit Rogue and Remy during non-work hours and congratulate them both.

They sat in the couple's room, which had been rearranged and expanded on to accommodate the increased number of occupants. Rogue was curled up on the bed, happily eating the chocolates Rosaline had brought from Europe for her, while Remy sat near the wide cradle, rocking it back and forth with his foot. Madison sat near Rogue and Rosaline crouched on the floor beside Remy, resisting the urge to pick up the babies and disturb their sleep.

"God, Rosie, these are delicious," Rogue drawled. "Thanks for getting' 'em for me."

"No problem," she replied cheerily, looking away from little Oliver and Rebecca.

Remy grinned at his wife. "Y'aint gon' share, chere?"

"Nope," she smirked back. "Ah think aftah almost a whole day o' labor, Ah'm entitled ta the whole box."

"_What was_ that _like?"_ Madison asked.

"The single most difficult thing Ah've evah had ta so, and surprisingly, havin' super-strength didn't help. But it was worth it."

The scarred woman nodded, then reached into the messenger-style bag on the floor beside her, pulling out two brightly wrapped, squishy-looking parcels. _"By the way, these are for the kids."_

Surprised, the southern belle reached out to accept them. "Wow, thanks. What are they?"

She blushed. _"Just open them and see."_

Rogue handed one to her husband and they ripped open the packaging together. She laughed, impressed, as she pulled out a knitted baby blanket. It was simple, just blocks of pale purples with a green border, but beautifully made. The one in Remy's hand matched, only reversed, with light greens and a purple border instead.

"These are lovely," she said, smiling in thanks at her friend and coworker. "Ah didn't know y'all knit."

"Well, I t'ink Rosie'd be skilled at womanly arts like dis," Remy noted.

"Um, I didn't make them," Rosie awkwardly replied. "Maddy did."

The look on his face blatantly showed that he hadn't expected that. "Oh."

Choosing to be amused instead of annoyed, Madison crossed her arms over her chest and set a mock-serious expression on her features. _"What, Remy, did you think I was too butch for something as 'girly' as knitting? Or did you think I was the 'boy' in our relationship?"_

"Ah, um, well now....."

"Cause you know," Rosie added, catching on, "lesbian and gay relationships are not always defined by the structure of heterosexual ones. There doesn't have to be a 'boy' partner and a 'girl' partner. I bet the lipstick-lesbian porn you've probably watched proves that in its own way."

He gawked at her, and Rogue burst out laughing.

"Don't mind mah husband," she snickered. "He jus' likes his women feminine, even if he still likes 'em strong."

"We know," the blonde grinned back. "We just like to ruffle his feathers."

Remy smirked. "Hey, I certainly don' mind de attention. An' I meant no offense, mon ami."

Madison nodded, smiling. _"I know. None taken."_


	54. Forbidden

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

* * *

Forbidden

It had been roughly a week since Adryen opened his bar, and Rosie and Madison were there one evening to show support. Neither of them really drank enough to merit going as much as they had been, but they wanted to be there in case he freaked out about something. They knew he wouldn't need them for that once he felt comfortable that his "baby" wouldn't crash and burn, so doing this un-requested favor didn't bother them much, and he did seem grateful for it.

Rosaline had gotten up to go to the restroom when someone else slid into the seat next to her girlfriend. Madison looked over, surprised to see a muscular, masculine, dark-haired woman sitting beside her.

"Hi there," the woman said, smiling with obvious intention.

Unused to this kind of attention from anyone other than Rosie, Madison blushed, feeling very aware of her appearance. _"Um, hi."_

The woman opened her mouth to say something else, but was cut off as a fist-shaped clump of vines emerged behind her and dropped forcefully onto her head. She gasped and fell unconscious to the ground, revealing Rosaline, who stood at the end of the bar calling the vines back to her. They unfurled over her hand, producing one of the small, colorful, solid glass globes that decorated the shelf above the liquor. It fell into her grasp and she put it down on the counter as she used her power to send the vines back to their rightful place – a potted plant near the bathroom door.

She walked back over to her partner, stepping unceremoniously over the fallen woman to take her seat again. Madison gave her a rather incredulous look.

"What?"

_"While I appreciate your devotion, love, I don't think she was going to hurt me."_

"You don't know that. She could have had a knife or bazooka or something." Rosie grinned, doing her best to look extra cute.

Madison sighed, but smiled. _"Uh huh. Sure."_


	55. Perspective

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

* * *

Perspective

Looking back, Madison could see that despite the hardships that had made up her life, she was_ very_ lucky.

She was young when she finally snapped and retaliated against her abusive father, her powers manifesting violently to stop him. Scared and confused, she ran, left entirely to her own devices at an age when most people couldn't fathom being alone. Luckily, she was smart, and had taught herself to read and write even though she'd been forbidden to go to school. She developed enough control over her most dominant gift to use it to her advantage. Hiding in the shadows, she controlled the minds and actions of strangers, using them to get what she needed – food, shelter, clothing, and other necessary items – then released them and moved on. Usually, they didn't see her or realize what exactly had happened until she was well out of their sight. But whenever she was caught or got into other trouble, she would simply use her power again to immobilize her attackers or turn them on each other until she had vanished. As she grew, she wondered if anyone would still be looking for her – she had assumed that the police thought her father killed himself, and might have sent someone to place her in foster care, or worse. Years passed without any such incident, however. If someone had been looking, surely they would have given up by then. Still, she kept running, too used to the life she had chosen to consider anything else. She let her precognition, as weak as it was, guide her; eventually using the visions to try and help the people she saw in them. That, of course, was how she found her Rosie, which was the luckiest and best thing that had ever happened.

Much older than she had been when she made that first choice, Madison knew that her life could have taken many turns for the worse. She had survived, even though living like that seemed – and often was – terrible. But it had led her to place where she finally felt whole; a home, friends, faith, an actual job where she could help others, and most importantly, love. And she knew that if she hadn't made those choices, _all_ of them, she might not have ended up where she felt she belonged, or with the woman who had brought her back to life.

So no matter how afraid she was that her power would corrupt her, or that her new life would somehow end, she was grateful for her past and found herself regretting it less and less each day.


	56. Success

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

* * *

Success

After a long and tiring bus ride, Rosaline and Madison finally stepped onto a busy sidewalk in New York City. People rushed by, ignoring each other, as car horns blared in the mess of traffic beyond.

"Wow," Rosie said, staring up at the towering buildings that rose all around them. Madison, however, looked completely at home.

_"Come on,"_ she smiled, pulling her girlfriend in the direction of a nearby hot dog stand. _"Its lunch time, isn't it?"_

"Well, yeah, but where do we go after that?" the blonde wondered. "Not that I cared about making a plan before, but I've never been in a city this big, and, well....." She gulped.

The scarred woman leaned over and kissed her quickly, still moving with the crowd. _"It's going to be okay. I like cities."_

They bought the hot dogs and headed for the subway, practically inhaling the food as they stood in line. Rosaline let Madison lead her, knowing that she had been in places like this many times before and trusting to her wisdom. Minutes later they were on the underground shuttle, speeding toward the other side of the metropolis. Because it was mid-day, their car was just as crowded as the streets had been. Most people stared off into books, magazines, palm pilots, or space, but a few were staring at their fellow passengers. This made Rosie uncomfortable and even more worried; she edged closer to her partner, glad that _she_ at least looked tough.

Soon they stopped and surfaced in a more residential area than the bus terminal was located in. Bags in hand, they started walking, looking for any 'For Rent' signs. After a couple of hours, it was clear that everything they saw was either too expensive or in a less-than-safe neighborhood. They turned to each other, fatigue and hopelessness setting in.

_"Let's take a break,"_ Madison sighed, leading her bewildered companion towards Central Park – which, after so much searching, was relatively close by.

Rosie felt better immediately back among familiar greenery and trees. She squeezed Madison's hand, taking a turn leading her around.

".....I wonder where my parents think I am," she murmured after they'd walked for some time.

_"What did you say in the letter you left them?"_

"Just that I needed to go and deal with what happened in my own way, and I'd write them when I got settled."

_"You know, once you send them something, they'll see the postmark and know where you are anyway."_

She smiled sadly. "Yeah, I know. But this is a big place, and I think if they know I'm okay, they won't come after me. They probably can't afford to hire a private investigator, so they'd have to come looking for me themselves, which would mean leaving their jobs, and my Dad's too much of a workaholic to ever do that."

_"Wow, you put a lot more thought into this than I realized."_

"What, did you really think I was this impulsive?"

_"No, but you didn't say you had a plan."_

She blushed. "I don't. And you're just following me blindly, too."

_"Of course I am. I love you, Rosie. I'll always follow you."_

Her blush deepened and she pulled her close, kissing her with gratitude despite her nervousness. When they stepped apart again, they noticed that some of the other park goers had also stopped and were staring at them.

_"Do you think it's my 'voice,' my scars, or that we're big bad scary lesbians?"_ Madison asked.

Rosaline bit her lip. "Dunno. Either way, we should move on."

_"Yeah. Let's go find some early dinner."_

They stopped further into the park at a large marble fountain. Rosie waited near the slowly rippling water, guarding her suitcase and Madison's backpack as she went back down a path to get fried dough and gyros. She returned quickly and they ate in silence, watching more of the city people pass them by.

"What are we going to do if we don't miraculously find and secure an apartment tonight?" Rosaline eventually wondered.

_"We could sleep here – I know ways to hide,"_ her girlfriend suggested. _"Or we could use some of the money we have left to get a hotel room. But that's up to you, since it's yours."_

"Maddy, we pooled all of our money before we did this. It's not just my decision."

_"True, but I didn't have much, so my part's already gone from buying the bus tickets."_

She shrugged, gazing without focus at a young couple and their baby. ".....I'm not sure yet. I need to think about it."

_"Okay."_

After a few moments they stood up, wordlessly agreeing to start their search again. However, as they stepped away from the fountain, they noticed a strange looking woman striding through the area. She appeared Arabic in heritage and was tall, with long black hair that flowed unkempt down her back and around her shoulders. Her eyes were dark brown, and by the redness and puffiness around them, it was obvious that she had been crying. She wore a blue pantsuit with matching high heels and carried a lidless cardboard box full of random items in both arms.

As she hurried through the clearing, one of her heels caught on the stone walkway and snapped off. She fell, limbs akimbo as the box and its contents flew away from her.

Without thinking, Rosaline rushed forward to help. While the woman got to her knees, she began to gather the framed photos, pens, mugs and notes for her. Reaching to do it herself, her eyes widened, surprised to see that she had help.

"Th-thank you," she stammered, sniffling.

"It's no problem," Rosie said, smiling as she put the last of the items back in their slightly flattened container. "Are you all right?"

"In a sense," she replied. "You can probably tell from all of this that I got fired today."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

She wiped at her eyes. "Thanks. That's not really the worst of it, though. Any chance you found my heel?"

"_Here it is,"_ Madison said, handing it to her as she joined them.

The woman stared at her, a blank yet still confused expression on her fragile features. Then she slowly reached up and tapped her forehead.

"_Um, yeah,"_ she replied, understanding the question.

Rosie stood up, joining her girlfriend. "We should go. I hope everything's all right, ma'am."

"No, its okay," she said, standing up awkwardly. "My partner is a mutant too."

"Really?"

"_Partner?"_

She smiled. "Yes and yes. I don't mean the business kind either. But something tells me you probably don't mind."

"We don't," the shorter of the pair grinned, extending her hand. "My name is Rosaline Jackson, but you can call me Rosie. And this is Madison James, _my_ partner."

She reached out and shook it, then Madison's. "It's a pleasure, and thanks for your help. I'm Rain Candlewood."

"_Interesting name."_

"Yeah. My parents were Middle Eastern hippies."

"Are you going to be okay?" Rosie asked again.

"I think so," Rain answered as her eyes drifted to the baggage in their hands. ".....Are you?"

Madison shifted uneasily. _"We're new here."_

"I see. Where are you staying?"

"We don't know yet."

She looked at them both, considering, then smiled again. "Well, if you don't mind, I'd like to repay you for you help. Do you drink coffee?"

"Um, sometimes," Rosie answered, slightly worried but curious.

The older woman nodded, and the kindness on her face somehow put their fears to rest. "Come with me, then. We'll have some and talk."

* * *

Rain's apartment, which was about thirteen blocks away in a decent part of the city, was gorgeous. It wasn't very big, but comfortably cozy, and decorated like an old farm home. The kitchen, dining room and living room were not separated, making the only separate spaces the bath, bedroom and closet. On the walls hung small copies of medieval tapestries, posters displaying vast Egyptian landscapes, and photographs of Rain with a stocky redheaded woman.

"Make yourselves at home," she bid them as she discarded her ruined shoes. "I'm just gonna go change."

While she shut herself in her bedroom, Rosaline and Madison sat down on the couch. "Is it wrong that I hope we can live_ here_?"

Her love smirked. _"I don't think there's room, and she only offered us coffee."_

Rosie pouted. "Well, maybe she can point us in the direction of a place like this."

Moments later, Rain came back out, dressed in a dark brown long-sleeved t-shirt and blue jeans with her hair neatly braided. "How do you like your coffee?"

"_Black."_

"With sugar and lots of cream, please."

She nodded, smiling again, and set about making it. Finally she returned with three steaming mugs, placing one in front of each of them. They thanked her and sipped at it, waiting to see what exactly she had asked them there for.

"All right," she said after gulping hers down, "truth is, girls, you're too young to be on the streets."

"_No offense, but I've been on the streets since I was a child."_

She raised an eyebrow at her. "Well, be that as it may, I know I can help you. Gwen – that's my partner – always said that was _my_ gift, finding people to help. And, truth again, your arrival is offering me a way out."

"A way out? Aren't you happy with Gwen? I mean, in those pictures....." Rosie gestured, embarrassed, to the walls.

"We're very happy," she sighed. "But she's been in Egypt for the last two months. She's an archaeologist, and after all the mess with that mutant trying to attack the world from there, the company she works with has been stepping up their efforts to excavate anything they can find in that area. They're worried more of his technology might be buried there. Gwen loves Egypt anyway, and since she's a mutant too, she's taken special interest in the project. I understand, but I really miss her."

"_So, I'm sorry, but you're going to leave her over that?"_

She laughed. "No! I'm going to join her there. I got fired today, remember? The only thing keeping me here is this place."

"Why's that?"

"We bought this apartment last year – no more rent, no mortgage either. I don't know how long we'd both be in Egypt, so I don't want to consider selling it. That leaves renting it out, but I bet that paperwork takes a while, and I'd have to get people to apply and go through all the applications..... It would take too long. I want to go_ now_."

Rosie nodded, trying very hard not to get her hopes up. "And we fit into all of this how?"

"Well, why are you in New York?"

"Honestly?"

"Yes."

She sighed, fighting back the redness and tears coming quickly to her face. "My twin brother died last week. We had been attending school away from home, so I went back with my parents after it happened. But I – I can't sit there and watch them mourn him in the house where we grew up. I had to get away. So we came here."

Sympathy filled Rain's gaze. She reached across the coffee table and put her hands over the girl's, which were wrapped tightly around her mug. "I'm so sorry."

She smiled, nodding as she pulled one hand away to wipe at the corners of her eyes. "Thank you."

"Do your bruises have something to do with that?"

She blushed, upset that she hadn't covered them up as well as she thought. "Yeah, but I don't want to talk about it, if you don't mind."

"All right." She sat back again. "How long do you think you'll be staying?"

"I'm not sure. As long as it takes for me to find what I need to find here, I guess."

She smirked. "Good answer."

"_Can we really stay here then?"_

"Yes, but I have a couple of conditions."

Madison dug around in her backpack, pulling out a pen and small pad of paper. _"Which are?"_

"One – you have to stay here for at least one year. Two – I'll expect you to pay rent, but it _will_ be controlled. If you miss any payments, though, I will start advertising the apartment For Rent as if you aren't living here. Three – when Gwen and I are going to come back, I'll give you advance notice, but you'll need to find somewhere else to stay then. Four – if you need to leave before we'd be coming back, let me know in advance, cause I'll need to get the water and electric shut off. Five – if anything needs fixing, you'll need to take care of it yourselves. And six – if you need to move any of our stuff to make space for your own, feel free to do that, but be careful with it and store it safely in the closet. If you break any of it, I will expect you to replace it. Does that sound good to you?"

Hastily scribbling down her rules, Madison handed the notes to Rosaline, who looked them over and nodded again. "Sounds perfect. What about the other bills, though?"

"Oh, right. You'll need to pay those too, and get them switched over to your names."

"_Okay. And can we write this up so we can all sign it to prove you agreed to this?"_

"Sure. I don't plan on calling the cops on you, though."

"_I know, but that doesn't mean your neighbors won't."_

Rain nodded. "Good point. You're smart. I'm glad we bumped into each other."

"We are too," Rosie replied, relieved.

* * *

After the three of them talked numbers, Rain got up to pack her suitcase and book a flight out of the city. Rosaline and Madison stayed in their seats, writing out a more legible and detailed copy of the conditions and terms. When that was done, they wrote it out again on another sheet of paper, so both they and their generous landlady would have copies.

Moments later, she emerged from the bedroom, two suitcases in hand and a purse on her elbow. "I've got myself a flight," she beamed. "Luckily, they had a cancellation on the last one out."

"That's great!"

Madison held up their 'lease.' _"We're done. Want to look it over?"_

"Not that I don't trust you – which should be obvious, I think, since I'm letting you baby-sit my home – but sure." She sat back down, reading over both copies. Finally she put them back down on the table, pulled a pen from her pocket, and signed them. She slid them back across to the couple, handing the pen to Rosaline. Once they placed their signatures below hers, she picked one copy up again, folded it, and put it into her purse.

"I'll be off then," she announced. "The wait at the terminal is always long, no matter what time it is. You two take care of yourselves, okay?"

"_We will."_ They stood up to walk her out, trying to act like they belonged there.

"Thank Gwen for us too," Rosie said. "And thank _you_, of course. You're a lifesaver."

"So are you, you know," she replied, giving them both a quick hug and a grin. "I'm sure I'll hear from you soon."

"At least for rent," the blonde grinned back. "Have a safe trip!"

"_And have fun in Egypt."_

Rain nodded, then stepped into the hallway, closing the door quietly behind her.

The wayward partners turned around, silently looking over the space that was suddenly somewhat theirs.

"_You know what, love?"_ Madison said after a moment.

"What?"

"_Maybe your Goddess exists after all."_

Rosaline chuckled and grabbed her hand, pulling her into a happy embrace.


	57. Warmth

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

* * *

Warmth

_"Geez, my feet are freezing,"_ Madison said, leaning forward to take off her socks and rub her cold skin. _"This is why we need a car. I'm going to lose toes walking back and forth to work one of these days."_

Rosie got up and went to the closet, pulling out another thick blanket. "You know, thicker boots would be cheaper than a car," she teased as she returned to drape the fabric over her wife and their couch.

She smiled sheepishly. _"But I like_ my _boots."_

"Uh huh." The curvy woman leaned in to kiss her love, then sat back down to take over the task of warming her bare feet. "Good thing I love you."

_"Thanks,"_ she replied sarcastically, though she meant it, and felt warmer for the care she was receiving.


	58. Would Have

**Without Masks**

_X-men: Evolution_ fanfic, sequel to "Triangle," and Lover100 fanfic challenge

_Disclaimer_ – Rosaline, Madison, Adryen, and all other original characters are mine. The world of X-men, and its characters, belong to Marvel Comics though. I'm just borrowing the place to give them somewhere to live :)

_Notes_ – This is a couple of things. 1) my contribution to the Lover100 fanfic challenge over on Livejournal. Of course, I picked Rosaline/Madison as my pairing. 2) A sort-of sequel to "Triangle." All the prompts for the challenge are different, and as such, this will be a very…abstract story, time-wise. It's really going to be a bunch of short stories strung together. There's no real chronological order, but all stories will take place during Rosaline and Madison's time away from Bayville, or during the future events I listed in the Extras. I think that pretty much covers it. Enjoy!

* * *

Would Have

"Maybe things would have been okay if I had stayed in Salem after what almost happened to me....."

"Huh?" Adryen eloquently replied. He and Rosaline sat drinking at his nearly empty bar, three days before the seven-year anniversary of Day's death.

She took another long sip of her margarita. "Well, what if I had pressed charges against those stupid boys and stood my ground and all of that? Day might still be here."

"Maybe," he said, taking another drink from his own glass. "But you met Madison because you came here, and isn't that worth it?"

"More than worth it," she sighed. "But saying that feels so selfish of me."

"He'd understand, you know."

"I do know. And that makes me feel even guiltier about it."

Smiling sympathetically, her blue-haired friend wrapped an arm around her shoulders and squeezed gently. "Its okay, hun. We're all human like that."


End file.
